VOICE  CULTURE 


A 

MANUAL 

Study  of  the  Human  Voice 

EXERCISES  AND  PRACTICES 


FOR 


Singing 

and 

Speaking 


PERFECT  VOICE  INSTITUTE 


CHICAGO 


ILLINOIS 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2014 


https://archive.org/details/manualforstudyofOOfeuc 


LESSON  XXI 

THE  LAW  OF  MECHANICS— (Continued) 

It  must  seem  odd  to  those  who  have  paid  httle  or 
no  attention  to  voice  culture,  that  so  much  stress  is 
laid  in  these  lessons  on  the  false  action  of  certain  vocal 
or  non-vocal  muscles.  Those  of  my  students  who  have 
studied  voice  for  a  considerable  period  will  easily  un- 
derstand the  importance  of  any  information  dealing 
with  the  interfering  muscles. 

We  pride  ourselves  on  the  advancement  made  in 
modern  times  and,  as  far  as  mechanical  invention  goes, 
we  have  advanced  very  much.  But  a  great  deal  re- 
mains to  be  done.  In  most  branches  of  study  we  are 
still  a  long  way  from  knowing  the  exact  truth.  This  - 
is  especially  true  of  the  human  body. 

The  first  man,  created  of  spirit,  soul  and  the  ma- 
terial essence  of  the  earth,  was  perfect  physically, 
mentally  and  spiritually.  Why  did  he  and  his  descend- 
ants not  remain  in  this  perfect  state?  Simply  because 
of  his  disobedience  to  either  one  or  all  of  the  laws 
which  govern  the  spirit,  mind  and  body.  We  call  that 
disobedience,  sin. 

If  I  were  to  eat  a  decayed  egg,  I  am  sure  that  it 
would  make  me  ill.  But  in  China,  people  bury  eggs  in 
the  ground  until  they  are  very  much  spoiled  and  then 
eat  them  with  relish  and  apparently  without  danger 
to  their  health,  so  missionaries  have  told  me.  They 
have  accustomed  themselves  to  the  poison  contained 
in  the  decomposed  egg. 

Just  so  a  singer  or  speaker  may  accustom  himself 
to  a  false  use  of  the  vocal  organ  and  he  himself  may 
be  satisfied  with  his  voice.    But  you  may  be  sure  that 

1 


2 


LESSON  XXI 


he  is  paying  the  penalty  in  some  way  for  his  disobedi- 
ence. TonsiHtis  is  found  as  a  rule  only  in  weak  throats. 
Consumptives  nearly  always  speak  with  a  very  weak 
voice  not  because  their  breath  is  short,  but  because 
their  vocal  organ  is  weak.  Listen  to  the  stammerer; 
he  breaks  every  law  of  the  vocal  decalog. 

The  United  States  law  says:  ''Ignorance  of  the  law 
is  no  excuse!"  There  is  such  a  thing  as  a  punishment 
inflicted  by  Nature,  for  every  violation  of  her  law 
brings  its  own  consequences,  which  at  first  may  be 
very  slight,  but  which  become  heavier  as  we  persist 
in  the  breaking  of  the  law.  In  my  estimation  the 
everlasting  and  often  nauseating  talk  about  morality 
is  a  sign  of  decadence.  The  moral  laws  are  most 
often  broken  because  the  physical  laws  are  disobeyed 
through  ignorance. 

I  want  my  students  to  know  the  physical  laws  of 
voice,  hence  this  renewed  discourse  on  false  and  true 
vocal  action. 

THE  INTERFERING  MUSCLES  ARE  ALL 
ATTACHED  TO  THE  HYOID  BONE 

All  muscles  which  interfere  with  the  true  voice 
action,  do  so  only  because  they  are  attached  to  the 
hyoid  bone.  They  obstruct  the  chord-stretching  effect 
in  two  ways: 

1.  By  preventing  that  tilting  of  the  hyoid  bone 
which  in  turn  tilts  the  Adam's  apple  or  thyroid  carti- 
lage and  thereby  stretches  the  vocal  chords. 

2.  By  drawing  the  hyoid  bone,  and  with  it  the 
entire  larynx,  forward,  away  from  the  spine,  thereby 
again  preventing  the  stretching  of  the  vocal  chords. 


LESSON  XXI 


3 


THE  BIVENTER  MUSCLE— CRANIUM  TO 
HYOID  BONE 

Turn  to  Figure  44  in  the  fifth  lesson  and  examine 
the  two  muscles  marked  biventer.  These  two  muscles 
are  joined  together  near  the  hyoid  bone  by  a  tendon. 

1.  Both  parts  of  this  muscle  combine  to  pull  the 
front  part  of  the  hyoid  bone  strongly  upward,  thereby 
counteracting  the  essential  down-pulling,  thyroid-tilting 
muscle,  the  sterno-hyoid  and  also  its  assistant,  the 
omo-hyoid  muscle. 

2.  The  part  of  the  biventer  muscle  that  grows  out 
of  the  chin  can  pull  the  hyoid  bone  and  larynx  forward 
away  from  the  spine. 

3.  The  main  part  of  the  biventer  muscle,  that  part 
which  grows  out  of  the  cranium  or  head,  can  draw  the 
hyoid  bone  backward,  causing  a  choked  though  loud 
tone.  The  hiccough  is  mainly  effected  through  this 
muscle. 

STYLO-HYOID  MUSCLE 

In  Figure  44,  you  will  also  find  the  stylo-hyoid 
muscle.  It  is  fastened  above  to  the  styloid  process — 
a  penlike  bony  projection  from  the  skull,  near  the  ears. 

Because  this  muscle  unites  with  the  biventer  muscle, 
it  can  also  oppose  the  downward-pulling,  chord-stretch- 
ing muscles  which  extend  from  the  breast  and  collar 
bone  to  the  Adam's  apple. 

THE  MYLO-HYOID  MUSCLE— JAW  TO 
HYOID  BONE 

If  you  draw  a  finger  all  around  the  inner  side  of 
the  lower  jaw  as  far  as  the  back  teeth,  you  are  touch- 
ing the  mylo-hyoid's  line  of  attachment  to  the  jaw. 
See  also  mylo-hyoid  in  Figure  44.   The  fibres  of  this 


4 


LESSON  XXI 


muscle,  which  start  from  rear  of  the  back  teeth,  extend 
downward  and  fasten  to  the  body  of  the  hyoid  bone, 
and  can  pull  this  bone  upward  and  forward. 

THE  GENIO-HYOID  MUSCLE— CHIN  TO 
HYOID  BONE 

As  may  be  seen  in  Figure  44,  this  muscle  lies  above 
the  last  mentioned  mylo-hyoid  muscle  and  below  the 
tongue.    It  extends  from  the  chin  to  the  hyoid  bone. 

This  muscle  can  draw  the  hyoid  bone  and  the  at- 
tached larynx  forward,  and  away  from  the  spine. 

GREAT  POWER  OF  THESE  FORWARD- 
PULLING  MUSCLES 

As  has  been  described,  no  less  than  four  pairs  of 
muscles  can  pull  forward  and  some  upw^ard  also,  upon 
the  hyoid  bone  and  drag  the  entire  larynx  aw^ay  from 
the  spine.  These  muscles  all  have  their  front  ends 
attached  to  the  lower  jaw.  They  are  evidently  in- 
tended to  open  the  mouth  by  pulling  the  lower  jaw 
downward;  except  the  mylo-hyoid  muscles,  which  form 
the  floor  of  the  mouth. 

But  this  group  of  jaw  muscles  which  may  act  so 
injuriously  upon  the  voice,  can  produce  a  powerful 
effect  only  when  the  lower  jaw  is  held  up  by  other 
muscles  connecting  it  with  the  head.  When  the  up- 
pulling  muscles  hold  the  jaw  firmly,  the  down-pulling 
muscles  can  pull  with  more  force  than  when  the  jaw 
is  not  thus  supported. 

In  Figure  46,  Lesson  VI,  you  see  how  the  jaw  is 
moved  upward  by  exceedingly  powerful  muscles.  Now 
when  these  muscles  which  pull  the  jaw  upward  are 
held  rigid,  the  muscles  which  pull  the  jaw  downward, 
and  which  are  also  connected  with  the  hyoid  bone,  also 


LESSON  XXI 


5 


contract  with  great  force,  the  result  is  a  most  per- 
nicious influence  upon  the  voice.  The  jaw-stiffening 
muscles  can  harden  the  entire  throat  and  drag  the 
larynx  into  unnatural  positions. 

THE  GREAT  TEMPTATION  TO  CONTRACT 
THE  JAW 

The  temptation  to  contract  the  jaw  is  very  great 
indeed.  It  almost  seems  natural  to  hold  the  jaw  tight. 
In  almost  any  physical  performance  we  associate  a 
great  effort  with  the  idea  of  great  muscular  exertion 
which  we  expect  to  feel  as  a  strain  upon  some  part  of 
the  body.  If  we  lift  a  weight  we  exert  ourselves  in 
proportion  to  the  weight  and  we  feel  the  exertion  in 
the  arms  and  shoulders.  If  we  throw  a  stone,  we  in- 
stinctively flex  the  arm  more  strongly  the  greater  the 
distance  we  wish  to  reach.  The  same  in  jumping.  For 
a  high  jump  we  exert  ourselves  more  than  for  an  ordi- 
nary jump. 

In  a  like  manner  the  speaker,  and  still  more  the 
singer,  often  makes  an  instinctive  effort,  especially  for 
loud  or  high  tones.  He  judges  correctly  that  a  louder 
or  higher  tone  demands  a  greater  effort  and,  naturally 
enough,  thinks  that  he  must  feel  the  effort.  His  vocal 
habits  are  already  formed  and  most  likely  are  far  from 
being  right.  The  rapid  articulation  in  common  speak- 
ing leaves  the  tongue  muscles  too  much  relaxed  to 
allow  of  rapid  movement.  The  need  of  constantly 
changing  the  shape  of  the  mouth's  rear  cavity  for 
different  vowels  incessantly  varies  the  position  of  the 
soft  palate  as  well  as  the  tongue. 

These  rapid  changes  excite  strong  sensations,  but 
neither  the  speaker  nor  the  singer  can  localize  them 
exactly.    Here  lies  the  great  danger:  say  the  voice 


6 


LESSON  XXI 


lacks  volume  or  perhaps  musical  quality.  In  the  first 
case  the  student  thinks  he  must  exert  himself  to  make 
the  voice  stronger,  in  the  second  case  he  tries  all  sorts 
of  means  and  ways  to  change  the  voice,  to  make  it 
more  musical.  He  seeks  for  some  local  efforts,  which 
he  can  feel  and  finds  the  mischievous  jaw  muscles  only 
too  ready  and  eager  to  satisfy  him. 

STRONG  SENSATIONS  WRONG 

The  previous  lesson  has  shown  how  easy  it  is  to 
contract  the  jaw  muscles.  The  speaker  or  singer  chooses 
them  instinctively  instead  of  the  tongue  muscles,  be- 
cause they  at  once  make  the  voice  stronger  and  he 
feels  that  he  is  doing  something.  The  average  person 
is  not  trained  to  differentiate  sharply  between  a  good 
voice  and  an  inferior  voice.  If  he  feels  a  change  in 
the  voice  he  is  satisfied.  The  jaw  muscles  pull  upon 
solid  walls  of  bone,  while  the  tongue  muscles  pull  only 
upon  yielding  parts.  The  jaw  muscles  can  be  felt  very 
strongly.  The  tongue  muscles  cannot.  It  is  easy  to 
see  why  so  many  instinctively  contract  the  jaw  muscles. 

RELAXATION  ALSO  WRONG 

Since  wrong  muscles  have  so  much  greater  power 
to  excite  strong  sensations  and  the  right  muscles  so 
much  less,  voice  teachers  generally  advise  their  students 
to  dismiss  all  effort.  They  tell  the  pupil  to  hold  the 
throat  perfectly  relaxed  in  order  to  avoid  forcing.  This 
would  be  all  right,  if  the  student  could  relax  only  the 
wrong  muscles.  But  in  trying  to  relax,  he  also  relaxes 
the  right  muscles;  those  which  stretch  the  vocal  chords. 

The  right  vocal  muscles  must  contract  very  power- 
fully for  any  tone,  even  for  the  soft  ones.  The  differ- 
ence is,  that  in  the  loud,  unmusical  voice,  the  muscular 


LESSON  XXI 


7 


effort  is  wasted,  while  in  the  true,  vStrong  and  musical 
voice,  no  effort  is  wasted. 

When  the  hyo-glossi  muscle  is  trained  to  its  utmost 
strength,  then  it  will  naturally  assert  itself  and  auto- 
matically eliminate  all  the  wrong  muscles.  This  of 
course  is  the  highest  type  of  voice,  and  this  is  the  type 
I  want  you  to  have  in  mind  and  to  try  and  reach. 

In  the  last  lesson  you  saw  that  the  hyo-glossi  muscle 
and  the  jaw  muscles  lie  very  near  together.  The  hyo- 
glossi  is  on  the  inside  of  the  angle  of  the  jaw  and  the 
jaw  muscles  on  the  outside.  What  is  more  natural 
than  to  confound  the  two,  especially  since  no  teacher, 
no  speaker,  no  vocalist  ever  realized  the  importance 
of  the  hyo-glossi  muscle?  The  physicians  know  the 
hyo-glossi  muscle  merely  as  a  tongue  depressing  muscle, 
but  not  as  a  larynx-raising  and  chord-stretching  muscle. 
Caruso,  in  his  booklet,  "How  to  Sing,"  says  that  he 
feels  the  tone  or  the  breath  on  the  back  of  the  tongue. 
He  is  correct  in  what  he  feels,  but  the  terminology  is 
incorrect.  He  distinctly  feels  a  slight  motion  in  the 
back  part  of  the  tongue;  not  knowing  exact  vocal 
anatomy,  he  supposes  that  this  motion  or  feeling  is 
caused  by  either  the  tone  or  the  breath. 

Neither  relaxation  nor  tension  is  correct,  but 
strength  and  flexibility  should  be  acquired. 

If  I  were  to  tell  a  student  to  relax  the  jaw  or  the 
throat,  he  would  at  the  same  time  relax  also  the  essen- 
tial vocal  muscles  and  strong,  good  voice  would  become 
impossible. 

I  merely  call  your  attention  to  the  right  vocal  attack 
so  that  you  will  not  be  conscious  of  either  jaw  or 
throat,  or  of  any  part  of  your  body,  for  that  matter. 

I  never  say,  ''Don't  do  that!"  but  always,  *'Do 
this."  Think  only  of  the  right  thing,  and  the  wrong 
will,  in  time,  be  impossible  to  do. 


8 


LESSON  XXI 


By  now  you  will  know  what  I  mean  by  *'Do  this." 
It  is  the  tongue  attack  that  you  must  feel  so  plainly 
when  you  speak  or  sing  with  the  little  finger  under  the 
tongue.  When  you  strongly  feel  the  ''beat"  of  the 
tongue,  which  is  caused  by  the  action  of  the  hyo-glossi 
muscles,  you  have  made  a  long  stride  towards  the  final 
goal. 

EXERCISES  FOR  LESSON  XXI 

With  this  lesson  we  have  come  to  the  most  impor- 
tant exercise  for  the  tongue,  and  really  to  the  last 
tongue  exercise  as  well.  Many  other  important  exer- 
cises will  follow,  but  all  the  exercises  that  have  been 
given  and  that  are  still  to  come  center  around  the 
tongue,  or,  to  be  more  exact,  around  that  mysterious 
pair  of  muscles,  ''the  hyo-glossi." 

I  am  sure,  from  the  numerous  letters  I  have  re- 
ceived, that  many  of  my  students  have  succeeded  in 
developing  a  very  good  voice  even  now,  through  the 
study  of  the  exercises  given  in  previous  lessons.  I  am 
sure  of  this  because  we  receive  such  letters  almost 
every  day.  Some  are  even  more  enthusiastic  than  I 
want  them  to  be,  because  the  hardest  work  is  still 
ahead,  but  also  the  greatest  promise,  the  brightest  vocal 
future.  . 

The  past  lessons  have  given  you  considerable  com- 
mand of  the  tongue  and  that  has  helped  you  as  it  was 
intended  to  do.  But  as  has  been  frequently  pointed 
out  in  these  lessons,  and  as  will  be  made  still  more 
plain  in  future  lessons,  especially  when  we  come  to  the 
lessons  on  "Vocal  Physics,"  the  laws  of  "Resonance 
and  Sound,"  great  strength  is  demanded  and  needed 
to  reach  the  full  glory  of  the  human  voice. 

So  far  we  have  planted  the  seed.  It  has  sprouted. 
It  has  grown  and  is  now  in  bloom,  but  the  fruit  is  still 


LESSON  XXI 


9 


to  come.  To  make  the  fruit  sound  and  sweet  and  to 
reap  a  rich  harvest,  you  must  help  me  with  all  your 
might.  Upon  you  alone  will  depend  the  future  growth 
of  your  voice,  because  that  .growth  will  be  determined 
by  the  amount  of  practice  you  can  or  will  intelligently 
do.  You  have  reached  the  point  now  where  you  should 
use  all  available  time,  and  practice  with  the  utmost  per- 
sistence till  the  full  strength  has  been  reached. 

The  last  lesson  must  have  been  a  revelation  to  many 
of  my  students.  It  was  designed  to  teach  two  definite 
things: 

First,  that  when  you  employ  the  hyo-glossi  muscle 
alone,  against  the  thumb's  resistance  from  the  outside 
of  the  jaw,  the  voice  is  stronger  and  clearer. 

Secondly,  but  that  when  you  stiffen  or  tighten  the 
jaw  at  the  same  point,  the  voice  also  becomes  stronger. 

This  illustrates  the  difficulty  of  knowing  the  right 
attack  from  the  wrong.  It  shows  why  there  has  been 
such  a  confusion  among  even  the  best  voice  teachers. 

As  in  the  moral  law,  so  it  seems  to  be  with  the 
physical  law;  right  and  wrong  are  so  closely  inter- 
woven that  it  is  often  very  difficult  to  decide  which  is 
right  and  which  is  wrong.  In  fact,  the  temptation  to 
do  the  wrong  thing  is  much  stronger  than  to  do  the 
right.  By  choosing  the  wrong  way,  there  is  most  often 
a  quick,  immediate  result  and  temporary  benefit.  The 
man  who  is  hungry  is  strongly  tempted  to  steal,  be- 
cause that  helps  his  needs  immediately;  the  way  of 
seeking  work  is  too  slow. 

Perhaps  the  chance  of  being  detected  is  remote,  so 
he  feels  justified,  at  least  to  himself.  In  a  similar  way 
the  vocalist  is  tempted  to  use  his  jaw  muscles.  He  is 
entirely  ignorant  of  the  physical  laws  and  feels  that 
whatever  helps  immediately  must  be  good.    In  both 


10 


LESSON  XXI 


the  moral  law  and  the  physical  law,  experience  is 
needed  to  distinguish  the  right  from  the  wrong.  The 
thief  goes  to  jail,  the  vocalist  loses  his  voice,  and  both 
get  the  experience  which  they  needed  and  deserved. 
However,  both  acted  through  ignorance.  You  now 
have  the  knowledge  which  will  enable  you  to  avoid 
such  missteps.  There  can  be  no  further  excuse  for  you. 

To  strengthen  the  all-important  hyo-glossi  muscle 
some  way  had  to  be  discovered  to  give  it  resistance — 
some  hold — some  grip  against  which  it  could  contract. 

If  you  merely  shut  your  hand,  the  finger  muscles 
are  not  fully  contracting  because  they  find  no  resist- 
ance, but  if  you  grip  a  baseball,  then,  indeed,  your 
hand  can  grip  with  all  the  power  it  has. 

By  pushing  the  thumb  upward  against  the  under 
jaw  some  resistance  was  given  the  hyo-glossi  muscle, 
but  this  resistance  was  not  direct  enough.  In  order 
that  the  hyo-glossi  muscle  be  given  a  firm  support, 
the  tongue  must  be  held  up  during  the  silent  practice 
in  an  artificial  way,  namely  by  placing  the  thumb 
inside  of  the  mouth  and  under  the  tongue.  After  that 
process  has  been  learned,  the  student  may  use  the 
tongue  support  which  will  be  sent  with  a  later  lesson. 

The  student  must  realize  that  in  speaking  and  in 
singing  the  upper  part  of  the  tongue  is  held  up  by  the 
stylo-glossi  muscles.  (Figure  30  in  Lesson  III.)  The 
muscle  which  extends  from  the  styloid  bone,  marked 
13,  into  the  tongue  is  the  muscle  in  question.  It  holds 
the  tongue  upward  in  speaking  and  singing,  thereby 
giving  the  hyo-glossi  muscles  directly  under  it  the  re- 
sistance or  hold  which  they  need.  But  by  practicing 
silently,  w^e  eliminate  all  muscles,  except  the  hyo-glossi, 
therefore  we  must  give  the  tongue  an  artificial  hold 
against  which  the  hyo-glossi  muscles  can  pull. 


LESSON  XXI 


11 


CONTRACTING  THE  HYO-GLOSSUS  MUSCLE 


Demosthenes,  it  is  related,  at  first  had  a  very  poor 
voice,  a  halting,  stammering  voice  that  he  was  ashamed 
of,  and  yet  he  eventually  became  the  greatest  orator 
of  his  time.  When  he  stood  on  the  seashore  or  on  the 


mountain  top  and  practiced  his  orations  with  a  pebble 
under  his  tongue,  he  was  using,  without  possessing  a 
knowledge  of  laryngology,  the  right  method  of  de- 
veloping a  strong,  full  and  agreeable  voice.  Without 
knowing  it,  he  was  affording  a  strong  point  of  resist- 
ance to  the  hyoid  muscle.  Against  this  resistance  the 


AGAINST  RESISTANCE 


Fig.  128 


12 


LESSON  XXI 


muscle  was  forced  to  contract  and,  in  doing  so,  gained 
strength  and  flexibility. 

THE  TONGUE  AND  THUMB 

First:  Place  your  right  thumb  under  the  right  side 
of  your  tongue,  laying  the  fleshy  side  against  the  teeth. 
To  do  this  you  must  bend  the  hand  inward  (not  out- 
w^ard)  at  the  wrist.  Next  pass  the  thumb  along  under 
the  tongue  until  its  end  touches  the  last  tooth.  See 
Figure  128.  During  this  exercise  the  tongue  must  re- 
main relaxed  and  quiet.  Now  extend  the  fingers  and 
turn  the  hand  slowly  until  they  pass  the  nose  and  the 
palm  is  turned  upward.  Naturally  the  thumb  under 
the  tongue  turned  with  the  hand,  so  that  now  the 
tongue  rests  on  the  side  of  the  thumb.  See  Figure  129. 
Always  be  sure  that  the  tongue  remains  soft  and  lies 
as  far  as  possible  in  its  natural  position.  Next,  press 
the  thumb  against  the  inner  side  of  the  tongue,  forcing 
it  toward  the  center  until  it  can  go  no  further.  About 
half  of  the  tongue  will  now  be  resting  on  the  thumb, 
which  is  now  pressing  against  the  ''hyo-glossi"  muscle. 
This  muscle  extends  from  the  side  of  the  tongue  back- 
ward and  downward  to  the  hyoid  bone  and  is  the 
muscle  we  must  strengthen. 

It  is  advisable  to  repeat  this  exercise  until  the 
thumb  can  be  placed  under  the  tongue  without  forcing 
the  tongue  out  of  its  natural  position.  The  entire  half 
of  the  tongue  from  back  to  front  must  rest  upon  the 
thumb.  You  may  have  some  difliculty  at  first  in  keep- 
ing the  tongue  loose  and  natural,  and  be  tempted  to 
draw  it  back  or  move  it  forward  to  make  room  for 
the  thumb.  But  all  such  movements  must  be  avoided, 
as  they  detract  from  the  desired  results. 

Second:  When  the  exercise  described  above  is 
thoroughly  understood  and  the  thumb  can  with  ease 


LESSON  XXI 


13 


be  brought  into  the  correct  position,  extend  the  exer- 
cise to  include  the  following: 

With  the  thumb  lift  the  tongue  about  one-third  of 
an  inch  or  less,  being  careful  that  the  entire  length  is 
lifted  and  not  only  a  part.  The  thumb  must  remain 
horizontal  and  the  whole  hand  be  raised  a  little.  Again 
be  quite  sure  that  the  tongue  rests  loosely  and  naturally 


Fig.  129 

on  the  thumb  without  exerting  any  pressure  upon  the 
thumb.  Repeat  this  exercise  as  frequently  as  possible. 

These  two  exercises  are  only  by  way  of  preparation 
for  what  is  to  follow,  but  they  must  be  mastered  before 
it  is  possible  to  advance  further.   If  the  tongue  is  even 


Fig.  129  and  Fig.  130.  In  order  to  photograph  the  tongue  and  show  correct  position  of  thumb, 
it  was  necessary  to  have  the  tongue  protrude.  In  practise  the  correct  position  ot  the  tongue  is 
always  within  the  teeth. 


14 


LESSON  XXI 


the  least  bit  stiff,  the  muscles  which  stretch  the  vocal 
chords  cannot  function,  or  at  best,  only  with  great  diffi- 
culty, for  they  find  too  much  resistance.  For  example 
if  the  tip  of  the  tongue  is  hard  and  stiff  it  shows  that 
the  "musculi  genio-glossi"  are  active  and  are  dragging 
the  hyoid  and  "stylo-glossi"  muscles  forward,  thus 
forcing  the  tongue  out  of  its  natural  position.  The 
purpose  of  these  exercises  is  to  train  only  those  muscles 
which  stretch  the  vocal  chords,  without  allowing  the 
other  muscles  to  interfere.  It  is  only  by  complete  iso- 
lation that  these  muscles  can  be  trained  and  brought 
under  control. 

These  exercises  may  be  practiced  on  either  the  right 
or  the  left  side  of  the  tongue  or  on  both  sides  alter- 
nately, as  may  be  convenient.  At  first  use  the  mirror 
to  notice  that  the  tongue  is  not  drawn  backward,  when 
the  thumb  is  under  it.  Later  you  can  do  it  without 
the  mirror. 

GROOVE  AGAINST  THUMB  RESISTANCE 

Third:  Place  the  thumb  under  your  tongue  as  pre- 
viously instructed,  and  raise  the  tongue  by  turning 
the  hand  partially  around  until  the  thumb  rests  on  its 
side.  Then  picture  the  tongue  as  resting  softly  and 
quietly  upon  the  thumb,  and  try  to  form  the  groove 
in  the  easiest  way.  If  the  groove  will  not  form,  assist 
the  process  by  using  the  forefinger  of  the  other  hand; 
that  is,  while  you  hold  thumb  under  the  tongue,  also 
touch  or  tickle  the  upper  suiface  of  the  tongue,  to 
induce  the  groove;  it  is  advisable  to  do  this  anyhow 
for  some  time,  until  the  groove  can  be  easily  formed. 
When  the  groove  is  correctly  formed,  the  under  part 
of  the  tongue  swells  and  spreads  sideways  and  down- 
ward and  you  will  feel  the  under  surface  of  the  tongue 
pressing  down  on  the  thumb.  Remember,  the  less 
exertion  you  use  in  forming  the  groove,  the  better  and 


LESSON  XXI 


15 


more  quickly  it  will  be  accomplished.  In  fact,  the  mind 
alone  should  compel  the  groove  to  form.  See  Figure 
130.  The  groove  should  be  deeper  than  it  was  possible 
to  show  in  this  figure. 

The  sideways  and  downward  swelling  of  the  under 
surface  of  the  tongue  is  caused  by  the  contraction  of 
the  hyoid  muscle.  As  long  as  the  tongue  remains  quiet, 


Fig.  13t) 

this  muscle  is  lax  and  hidden,  but  as  the  muscle  con- 
tracts it  becomes  thicker;  this  explains  the  swelling 
and  the  slight  pressure  on  the  thumb. 

Explanation:  When  the  tongue  is  raised  by  the 
thumb,  the  hyo-glossus  muscle  is  also  raised;  the  thumb 
gives  it  a  support  and  supplies  the  necessary  resistance 


16 


LESSON  XXI 


against  which  it  can  contract.  But  as  the  upper  end 
of  the  muscle  which  is  attached  to  the  tongue,  is  pre- 
vented by  the  thumb  from  drawing  the  tongue  down- 
ward, the  low^er  end  of  the  muscle  which  is  attached 
to  the  horns  of  the  hyoid  bone  must  draw  the  horns 
upward.  In  this  position  the  front  part  of  the  hyoid 
bone  is  tilted  downward  and  the  horns  raised  upward. 
You  can  easily  prove  this  for  yourself  by  placing  a 
finger  under  the  front  of  the  hyoid  bone  just  under  the 
jaw,  and  feeling  the  sw^elling  against  the  finger. 

DRAWING  THE  TONGUE  BACK 

Fourth:  Place  the  thumb  under  the  tongue  as  be- 
fore. With  a  finger  of  the  other  hand  touch  the  tongue 
very  lightly  both  at  the  tip  and  at  the  back  near  the 
throat,  to  make  sure  that  the  tongue  is  quite  soft  and 
lax.  Then  draw^  the  whole  tongue  back  about  a  quarter 
of  an  inch.  This  must  be  done  very  gently  so  that  the 
thumb  under  it  does  not  feel  the  slightest  pressure. 
While  drawing  the  tongue  back  and  also  after  it  is 
drawn  back,  touch  it  repeatedly  to  make  sure  that 
the  upper  surface  remains  as  lax  as  before.  In  all  these 
exercises  the  tongue  must  remain  soft.  That  is  the 
fundamental  condition  to  success.  This  exercise  is 
given  merely  to  show  you  the  tendency  of  the  tongue 
to  shorten,  during  the  formation  of  the  groove,  and  it 
need  not  be  repeated  once  you  understand  the  action. 

ISOLATING  THE  TONGUE 

It  must  be  emphasized  again  that  in  all  the  exer- 
cises, care  must  be  taken  that  only  the  hyoid  muscle 
is  exercised,  for  any  assistance  on  the  part  of  the  other 
muscles  will  delay  its  growth  and  deprive  it  of  strength. 
When  you  have  become  accustomed  to  the  exercise 
with  the  thumb  and  are  sure  that  the  groove  is  always 


LESSON  XXI 


17 


formed  far  back,  as  well  as  in  the  center,  lay  the  fore- 
finger under  the  cricoid  cartilage  and  the  thumb  of  the 
other  hand  under  the  tongue,  and  be  sure  that  the  cri- 
coid cartilage  remains  in  the  natural  position  while 
the  groove  in  the  tongue  is  formed  and  the  tongue  is 
relaxed  again. 


Fig.  131 


It  is  very  important  that  the  pressure  of  the  tongue 
be  felt  especially  on  the  end  of  the  thumb  and  not  only 
in  the  middle,  as  frequently  occurs. 

THE  HYOID  BONE  STROKE 

Lay  the  forefinger  under  the  hyoid  bone  in  the 
angle  made  by  the  chin  and  throat  and  then  form  the 
tongue  groove,  first  without  the  finger,  then  with  the 


18 


LESSON  XXI 


little  finger  and  then  with  the  thumb  and  notice  that 
the  front  of  the  hyoid  bone  strikes  the  finger  each  time 
that  you  make  the  groove.  See  Figure  131.  Next, 
speak  the  vowel  a,  e,  i,  o,  u.  With  each  vowel  the 
hyoid  bone  will  involuntarily  strike  against  the  finger. 
If  the  hyoid  bone  rises  toward  the  throat  cavity,  that 
is  proof  that  the  all-important  hyoid  muscle  is  too 
weak  and  that  it  still  needs  much  exercise. 

In  spite  of  what  I  have  said  against  drawing  the 
whole  larynx  up  or  down,  a  certain  downward  stroke 
of  the  hyoid  bone  is  not  only  permissible  but  abso- 
lutely necessary  in  a  large  tone,  and  this  stroke  occurs 
automatically  as  soon  as  the  tongue  has  gained  suffi- 
cient strength. 

To  avoid  misunderstanding,  I  wish  to  state  that  it 
is  very  easy  to  lower  the  hyoid  by  means  of  the  throat 
muscles,  but  this  is  injurious.  As  mentioned  above,  a 
downward  stroke  of  the  hyoid  bone  against  the  finger 
is  noticeable,  and  yet  the  hyoid  bone  is  not  drawn 
downward.  Just  the  opposite  is  the  case.  The  horns 
are  drawn  upward  and  the  bone  is  tilted,  therefore  the 
front  strikes  downward  without  really  being  lowered. 
The  action  somewhat  resembles  the  balance  beam 
of  a  druggist's  scale;  when  one  side  goes  down,  the 
other  goes  up,  but  the  center  of  pivotal  point  remains 
at  rest. 

This  is  not  an  exercise  which  you  need  to  practice. 
It  is  merely  a  test  to  show  you  that  the  hyoid  bone  can 
be  moved  either  by  the  tongue  muscles,  which  is  the 
right  way,  or  by  the  throat  muscles,  which  is  the 
wrong  way.  If  it  does  not  move,  you  are  still  tensing 
the  palate  muscles  while  making  the  groove.  If  you 
drop  the  upper  part  of  the  tongue  loosely  enough  in 
the  middle  and  near  the  throat,  then  the  palate  will 
remain  still. 


LESSON  XXI 


19 


You  must  master  all  these  points.  Continue  prac- 
ticing until  you  do  master  them. 

5.  Having  succeeded  in  making  the  groove  with- 
out moving  either  the  cricoid  cartilage  or  the  palate, 
that  is  the  uvula,  place  a  little  finger  under  the  tongue, 
near  its  center,  as  taught  in  earlier  lessons. 

Again  make  the  groove,  testing  once  and  awhile 
the  cricoid  cartilage,  and  observing  also  that  the  palate 
does  not  move.  Notice  that  every  time  you  make  the 
groove  while  the  little  finger  is  under  the  tongue,  that 
you  feel  a  "beat"  or  soft  pressure  of  the  under  side  of 
the  tongue  against  the  finger.  That  is  the  correct  and 
"infalHble"  attack. 

6.  Count  or  read  aloud  and  notice  that  every  time 
you  feel  this  beat,  the  voice  is  strong,  clear  and  good. 

Singers  should  sing  the  scale,  starting  about  B  flat 
on  the  third  line.  Every  time  they  feel  the  ''beat," 
if  made  with  utmost  ease  (as  taught  in  groove  without 
voice),  the  tone  is  strong,  good  and  easy.  Now  they 
will  arrive  at  a  note,  lasually  about  F  on  fifth  line,  when 
the  6eat  is  not  f^  and  the  tone  is  less  good  or  the 
throat  isrrofffee  and  easy.  That  is  a  sure  sign  that 
they  have  reached  the  present  limit  of  their  strength. 
To  reach  the  upper  notes,  this  strength  has  to  be 
increased. 

In  order  that  this  strength  may  be  increased,  the 
hyo-glossi  muscle  must  contract  against  a  resistance, 
and  for  this  purpose  the  thumb  is  placed  all  along  the 
entire  half  of  the  under  surface  of  the  tongue,  as  far 
back  as  the  lower  wisdom  teeth. 

It  may  take  some  of  you  several  days  to  become 
accustomed  to  placing  the  thumb  under  the  tongue  and 
to  holding  it  there  while  the  tongue  lies  loosely  and 
quietly  upon  it.  A  few  of  you  may  have  a  very  thick 


20 


LESSON  XXI 


thumb,  too  thick  to  pass  under  the  tongue;  these 
should  use  the  forefinger  of  the  opposite  hand  and  lay 
it  far  back  under  the  tongue. 

7.  Having  acquired  this  exercise,  simply  make  the 
groove  in  the  manner  so  often  described.  Notice  that 
the  back  part  of  the  tongue,  gently,  easily  falls  or 
presses  down  upon  the  tip  of  the  thumb  or  finger.  Once 
in  a  while  test  the  cricoid  cartilage  to  see  that  it  does 
not  move  while  you  are  making  the  groove. 

Many  will  be  tempted  to  press  down  with  the  tip 
of  the  tongue.  That  must  be  avoided  at  all  costs. 
The  front  part  of  the  tongue  must  remain  loose. 
This  is  especially  important  as  you  gain  more  and 
more  strength.  Keep  the  front  part  of  the  tongue 
loose  as  long  as  you  practice;  this  is  imperative! 

Most  of  you  will  be  tempted  to  press  down  hard 
with  the  tongue.  Do  just  the  opposite.  Merely  let 
your  tongue  drop  loosely  on  the  thumb.  Let  it  rest 
there  a  second  and  then  relax,  when  the  tongue  will 
jump  to  its  natural  straight  position. 

Remember  the  lesson  on  the  jaw  muscles.  If  you 
press  down  hard  with  the  tongue,  you  are  really  con- 
tracting the  jaw  and  not  the  tongue. 

8.  Practice  this  lesson  with  the  thumb  under  the 
tongue  as  much  as  you  can.  You  have  reached  the 
all-important  point  now.  Do  not  cease  practicing. 
Keep  at  it  every  time  you  get  a  chance.  The  end  will 
richly  repay  all  your  trouble.  Do  not  be  afraid  of 
over-taxing  the  hyo-glossi  muscle  now.  It  cannot  be 
injured.  You  may  get  tired  or  even  a  little  sore,  but 
that  will  disappear.  Any  muscle  that  is  being  exer- 
cised may  get  tired  or  even  sore  at  first. 

If  you  only  make  the  groove  easily  enough,  you 
can  do  yourself  no  harm.   Be  sure  that  the  thumb  is 


LESSON  XXI 


21 


always  clean  and  that  the  nail  is  short,  so  as  not  to 
scratch  the  tongue. 

I  have  had  students  who  made  the  groove  against 
thumb  resistance  7,000  times  daily.  This  may  seem 
to  take  very  much  time,  but  it  can  in  reaHty  be  done 
in  less  than  two  hours.  Do  what  you  can,  is  all  I  ask. 

If  you  were  standing  on  ice,  hardly  thick  enough 
to  hold  your  weight,  and  you  were  to  try  to  hold  an 
additional  weight  of  ten  pounds  only,  the  ice  would 
break  and  you  would  disappear  in  the  water.  But  if 
the  ice  were  thick  and  strong  you  could  assume  con- 
siderable additional  weight  without  fear  of  breaking 
through. 

If  your  tongue  is  weak,  it  cannot  resist  the  pull  of 
the  other  muscles  and  breaks  down  under  the  strain. 
You  must  wait  until  the  ice  (the  hyo-glossi  muscles) 
is  strong  and  then  your  voice  will  be  strong,  beautiful 
and  free. 

With  a  later  lesson  you  ^ill  receive  my  patent 
tongue  support.  Wait  for  spme  time  before  using  it. 
First  get  accu^tomedjjo-^e  groove  against  thumb. 
The  thumb  support  is  just  as  good  as  the  mechanical 
support. 

The  tongue  support,  or  fork,  must  be  inserted  under 
the  tongue  so  that  it  lies  easily  in  the  mouth.  After 
you  are  accustomed  to  holding  this  under  the  tongue, 
hold  the  stem  firmly  in  one  hand  and  hold  it  so  that 
the  tongue  is  lifted  about  one-third  of  an  inch  or  less. 
Hold  it  in  that  position  while  you  make  the  groove  as 
taught.  It  is  exactly  the  same  exercise  as  with  the 
thumb  under  the  tongue,  so  if  you  prefer  to  use  the 
thumb  only,  you  may  do  so. 

Everybody  needs  this  exercise.  It  is  the  only  in- 
fallible way  of  strengthening  the  tongue  and  through 
it  the  throat.    Keep  it  up  for  many  years. 


22 


LESSON  XXI 


Gradually  this  exercise  will  become  automatic  and 
will  assert  itself  during  voice.  This  is  especially  im- 
portant for  the  stammerer  and  on  this  exercise  the 
next  lesson,  especially  written  for  defective  voices,  will 
be  based. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XXI 

1.  Why  should  the  voice  student  understand  the 
false  action  of  certain  muscles? 

2.  Where  are  the  voice-interfering  muscles  at- 
tached? 

3.  Are  the  false  muscles  stronger  than  the  true 
vocal  muscles?  ^^S^i^ 

4.  What  is  the  greatest  muscular  fault  of  vocalists? 

5.  Is  relaxation  a  correction  of  false  muscular 
habits? 

6.  What  is  the  correct  condition  of  a  muscle? 

7.  How  is  a  muscle  made  stronger? 

8.  Can  you  place  thumb  under  the  tongue? 

9.  Can  you  make  groove  against  thumb? 

10.  Do  you  feel  the  groove  strongly  against  the  tip 
of  the  thumb? 


LESSON  XXII 

A  SPECIAL  LESSON  ON  STAMMERING, 
STUTTERING,  ETC. 

This  lesson  has  been  written  especially  for  the  stam- 
merer and  for  all  defective  voices,  but  the  singer  and 
speaker  should  study  this  lesson  as  closely  as  the  stam- 
merer, especially  the  part  which  treats  of  the  vowels 
and  consonants. 

Much  poor  speaking  and  singing  is  due  to  indistinct, 
slovenly  and  careless  articulation  of  words  and  syllables. 
Correct  articulation  will  allow  a  free  flow  of  sound 
and,  hence,  beautify  the  voice.  Slovenly  articulation 
will  hold  the  muscles  either  too  stiff  or  too  loose. 

Careful  study  of  this  lesson  will  demonstrate  that 
the  voice  is  one  thing;  articulation  another.  The  two 
will  assist  each  other  if  the  muscles  are  left  in  a  free, 
flexible  state. 

Yesterday  I  received  the  following  very  interesting 
letter: 

''I  am  in  receipt  of  your  literature  and  contents 
carefully  noted.    I  am  impressed,  hence  this  letter. 

**I  am  a  medical  student  of  the  University  of  , 

College  of  Medicine,  and  for  ten  years  I  have  gone 
through  a  ''living  hell"  with  stammering,  the  causa- 
tive agent.  It  cost  me  a  small  fortune  to  secure  relief. 
I  attended  stammering  schools  all  over  this  country,  was 
in  Europe,  consulted  numerous  physicians  and  physi- 
ologists, but  all  to  no  avail.  When  I  say,  Mr.  Feucht- 
inger,  I  am  discouraged,  I  believe  you  can  understand 
why. 

''Either  the  schools  were  fraudulent,  or  if  the  men 
were  sincere,  they  could  not  produce  results.  Dr. 
Scripture  of  Columbia  University  is  a  stammering 

1 


2 


LESSON  XXII 


expert,  but  I  never  heard  of  him  as  having  produced 
a  cure.  I  am  not  a  bad  case,  as  my  chief  difficulty 
is  that  I  get  a  spasm  in  my  larynx  and  my  throat 
becomes  'tied  up,'  as  it  were.  You  are  correct  when 
you  state  that  most  cases  are  due  to  inability  to  con- 
trol the  tongue  and  the  larynx  muscles,  but  when  you 
state  you  can  cure  it,  I  am  not  only  skeptical  but 
superskeptical.  No  offense  is  intended,  but  I  have 
met  men  who  gave  convincing  (?)  explanations  as  to 
the  etology  of  the  disease  (?) — explanations  that  could 
not  be  attacked  and  yet  who  failed  to  cure. 

**Now,  Mr.  Feuchtinger,  I  don't  know  how  you  will 
favor  what  I  now  have  to  state,  but  it  is  the  only  way 
through  which  I  will  take  your  treatment,  so  please 
follow  me  closely.  I  have  consulted  with  my  Profes- 
sors here — to  take  up  your  treatment.  I  will  do  so 
if  you  will  send  it  to  me  or  through  the  University, 
for  a  trial.  If  after  some  time  I  find  it  benefits  me,  I 
will  pay  you  your  fee  and  in  addition  bring  your  dis- 
covery before  the  American  Medical  Association  and 
have  it  introduced  amongst  physicians  and  recognized. 
You  can  easily  see  what  business  and  fame  this  would 
bring  you. 

"Under  no  other  circumstances  will  I  accept  any 
treatment,  as  in  every  case  I  was  the  loser,  and  I  can- 
not afford  to  lose  again." 

To  this  letter  I  sent  the  following  reply: 

"I  am  in  receipt  of  your  very  interesting  letter  of 
the  8th  inst.  Since  you  are  a  medical  student,  it  gives 
me  the  opportunity  to  speak  to  you  in  professional 
terms. 

"You  say  you  have  attended  stammering  schools  all 
over  this  country  and  in  Europe,  consulted  numerous 
physicians  and  physiologists  without  success  to  your- 


LESSON  XXII 


3 


self.  I  can  easily  understand  that  you  are  discouraged, 
and  sympathize  with  you. 

"No,  I  don't  believe  that  all  of  the  schools  were 
fraudulent;  the  reason  they  could  not  produce  results 
was  simply  because  they  did  not  understand  the 
mechanism  of  the  vocal  organ.  The  same  must  be 
said  of  many  physicians  and  throat  specialists.  They 
have  looked  at  the  throat  merely  from  the  point  of 
view  of  the  operating  table,  and  not  in  a  constructive 
sense  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  vocalist. 

"The  supposition  heretofore  has  been  that  the  vocal 
chords  are  tensed  or  stretched  as  needed  for  speaking 
and  singing  by  the  internal  laryngal  muscles.  Th^ 
internal  laryngal  muscles  can  stretch  the  vocal  chords 
only  to  a  very  limited  extent,  certainly  not  sufficient 
for  a  full  speaking  or  singing  voice.  To  hold  the  vocal 
chords  at  the  tension  needed  for  speaking  and  singing, 
Nature  has  given  us  the  external  laryngal  muscles, 
and  of  these  the  hyo-glossi  and  chondro-glossi  muscles 
are  the  center  or  keystone. 

"If  these  muscles  are  weak,  or,  as  is  mostly  the  case 
with  stammerers,  if  they  are  not  under  control,  if  they 
are  displaced  or  held  stiff,  the  entire  vocal  organ  and 
throat  is  made  rigid  and  unyielding.  Of  course,  speech 
is  impossible,  or  at  least  very  difficult  under  such 
circumstances.  ^ 

"When  you  say  that  you  get  a  spasm  in  the  larynx, 
and  your  throat  becomes  tied  up,  you  are  perfectly 
right,  only  the  spasm  is  not  caused  by  the  larynx,  but 
by  the  tongue. 

"I  don't  blame  you  in  the  least  for  being  super- 
skeptical,  but  if  you  refuse  to  accept  a  new  statement, 
and  reject  a  new  discovery  because  you  have  not  suc- 
ceeded with  old  methods,  you  remind  me  of  a  man  who 
in  a  large  city,  asks  several  strangers  to  direct  him 


4 


LESSON  XXII 


to  a  certain  place.  They,  not  being  very  sure  them- 
selves, direct  him  as  best  they  can,  with  the  result  that 
he  did  not  reach  the  place  to  which  he  wished  to  go. 

"Now,  wouldn't  it  be  foolish  for  this  man  to  tell  an 
old  inhabitant  of  the  city,  who  offered  to  direct  him, 
that  he  was  a  liar  and,  rather  than  tr>^  the  new  direc- 
tions, keep  on  running  around  the  circle,  and  never 
get  anywhere? 

"I  cannot  accept  your  proposition  to  send  you  our 
lessons  on  trial,  as  it  were,  for  the  simple  reason  that 
tliese  lessons  are  issued  only  gradually.  It  will  take 
longer  to  study  the  course  by  mail  than  it  would  if  I 
had  you  here  personally,  and  to  make  sure  that  you 
understand  every  lesson,  we  issue  them  through  an 
entire  year. 

"The  lessons  will  teach  you  all  about  the  voice  and 
give  you  exercises  enabling  you  to  acquire  control  over 
the  all-important  tongue,  the  larynx,  the  palate,  and 
the  breath;  all  of  these  things  take  time.  Sometimes 
improvement  is  noticed  almost  immediately,  but  again, 
in  other  cases,  it  takes  considerable  time.  In  all  cases, 
however,  we  guarantee  an  improvement  and  a  final 
cure,  provided  the  student  completes  the  work. 

"Sometime  when  you  have  an  attack  of  stammering, 
place  a  forefinger  far  back  on  the  top  of  the  tongue. 
You  will  then  notice  that  your  tongue  is  drawn  high 
up  and  that  it  is  very  hard.  Also  look  at  your  tongue 
in  the  mirror,  and  you  will  find  that  when  you  stammer 
the  tongue  is  drawn  back  from  the  teeth.  Both  of 
these  tests  are  absolute  proof  that  at  the  time  of  stam- 
mering you  have  dislocated  the  entire  tongue,  and 
this  is  the  cause  of  ^mir  stammering. 


LESSON  XXII 


5 


* 'Another  proof  that  my  contention  is  correct,  is  that 
I  presume  you  to  have  a  very  good,  full  voice  when 
you  speak  naturally.  Very  likely  you  have  even  a  good 
singing  voice.  All  this  should  be  of  great  encourage- 
ment to  you.  It  shows  that  your  tongue  muscles  are 
really  strong,  and  that  all  you  need  do  is  to  gain 
control  over  them. 

"I  could  guarantee  you  an  absolute  cure  as  soon  as 
you  have  control  over  the  tongue  muscles,  but  the 
matter  of  habit  enters  so  largely  into  cases  like  yours 
that  it  may,  after  all,  take  considerable  time  before 
you  could  pronounce  yourself  absolutely  cured.  But 
as  soon  as  you  have  the  control,  you  have  positive 
proof,  which  you  can  feel,  see  and  hear.  After  that, 
it  would  be  up  to  you  to  get  into  the  right  habit. 

"Since  you  mention  Dr.  Scripture,  I  wish  to  tell  you 
that  I  have  read  his  work  with  great  interest.  But  I 
find  that  he,  like  other  physicians,  has  neglected  to 
observe  the  mechanism  of  the  vocal  organ.  Hence,  his 
deductions  on  vocal  physiology  are  entirely  erroneous. 
What  he  writes  about  resonance  is  very  interesting 
indeed,  and  most  scholarly,  but  of  no  practical  value  for 
the  vocalist.  Resonance  is  the  result  of  a  good  tone, 
and  not,  as  has  been  supposed  heretofore,  the  cause. 

''The  teachers  of  physics  have  put  the  cart  before 
the  horse.  When  you  have  a  good  tone,  you  also  have 
resonance.  Seeking  for  resonance  never  developed  a 
good  tone,  but  only  a  disturbance. 

"I  trust  I  have  explained  the  matter  to  your  satisfac- 
tion, and  hope  that  you  will  give  my  method  a  trial." 

Now  read  the  following  extract  from  an  article  by 
Dr.  W.  A.  Evans  in  the  Chicago  Tribune,  1915: 

"Most  cases  of  stammering  and  lisping  can  be  cured 
by  the  mother.   The  method  is  simple.    She  must  con- 


6 


LESSON  XXII 


tinually  pronounce  the  words  which  the  child  mispro- 
nounces and  have  the  child  repeat  them  after  her. 
Rewards,  including  a  judicious  use  of  praise,  must  be 
made  use  of. 

'*If  the  mother  cares  to  read  some  book  on  speech 
defects,  such  as  that  by  Scripture,  and  learn  just  how 
certain  sounds  are  made,  she  will  be  the  gainer  by 
doing  so.  She  may  learn  words  which  her  child  can 
pronounce  correctly,  which  words  call  for  about  the 
same  operations  in  the  speech  organs  as  those  which 
the  child  speaks  incorrectly.  All  of  this  is  for  the 
mother.  In  training  the  child  the  mother  speaks  cor- 
rectly some  troublesome  words  and  other  related  words, 
and  the  child  repeats  them. 

''Stuttering  is  a  different  matter.  Stutterers  can 
make  the  necessary  sounds.  The  trouble  is  in  form- 
ing the  sounds  into  several  syllable  words  and  into 
sentences.    The  seat  of  the  trouble  is  the  mind. 

* 'Stammerers  and  lispers  are  at  their  worst  between 
two  and  five  years  of  age.  The  mother  can  cure  the 
average  stutterer  of  his  defect.  Why?  The  need  is 
for  some  way  to  slow  down  the  excited,  nervous  child. 
To  make  him  think  slowly,  act  slowly,  speak  slowly; 
to  teach  him  not  to  begin  to  speak  until  his  thought 
is  formulated,  and  then  to  say  his  words  with  delibera- 
tion. 

"The  stuttering  child  has  a  disposition  to  do  every- 
thing half-cocked.  If  it  be  granted  that  the  cause  of 
stuttering  is  in  the  mind ;  if  the  needed  cure  is  to  train 
the  child  to  be  deliberate  and  calm,  does  it  not  follow 
that  the  mother  is  the  best  teacher?  Bluemel  is  right. 
The  majority  of  children  who  stutter,  stammer  and 
lisp  could  be  cured  by  their  mothers.  However,  there 
are  children  who  stammer  because  of  adenoids,  tonsils. 


LESSON  XXII 


7 


or  other  defects,  and  children  who  stutter  because  of 
mental  or  other  trouble.  Such  need  the  help  of  phy- 
sicians and  speech  specialists." 

This  was  taken  from  the  New  York  Sun,  1915: 

''More  than  forty  thousand  public  school  children 
who  stutter,  stammer,  lisp  or  have  the  'tic'  defect  in 
their  speech  are  to  be  specially  looked  after,  with  a 
view  to  making  them  normal,  under  a  resolution  adopt- 
ed today  by  the  Board  of  Education,  at  the  suggestion 
of  Dr.  Dennis  J.  McDonald. 

"The  plan  is  to  give  every  teacher  who  has  speech- 
defective  pupils,  special  medical  instructions  as  to  how 
to  control  and  cure  these  defects. 

"Dr.  McDonald  said  that  it  is  likely  that  one  or  two 
terms  of  special  instruction,  so  arranged  as  not  to 
interfere  with  regular  school  attendance,  will  be  suffi- 
cient to  convert  the  average  boy  or  girl  stammerer,  or 
lisper,  into  a  child  of  normal  speech,  with  much  brighter 
prospects  in  the  world." 

Dr.  Joseph  G.  Burk,  Chicago,  says  in  the  Journal 
of  Ophthalmology,  Otology  and  Laryngology  of  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.: 

"The  tongue-tie  was  formerly  thought  to  be  a  cause 
of  speech  defect,  such  as  lisping,  stammering,  or  stutter- 
ing, but  this  is  now  discredited.  Tongue-tie  was  con- 
sidered a  shortening  of  the  fraenum  of  the  tongue. 
Any  diseased  condition  of  the  tongue  itself  can  affect 
the  speech  and  appropriate  treatment  of  such  a  con- 
dition will  be  necessary.  The  cheeks  and  lips  are 
often  at  fault  in  speaking  or  singing  in  that  the 
muscles  are  insufficiently  developed  or  trained.  By 
proper  action  and  passive  exercise,  much  will  be 
accomplished." 


8  LESSON  XXII 

Dr.  Smiley  Blanton,  Madison,  University  of  Wis- 
consin, in  the  same  Journal  says: 

''Even  the  education  of  physicians  toward  speech 
defects  has  been  so  neglected  that  often  they  advise 
against  any  treatment.  As  a  result  of  this  lack  of 
knowledge  on  the  part  of  the  physician,  sufferers  from 
this  defect  have  flocked  to  the  stammering  schools  and 
the  non-medical  'Speech  Specialists'  who,  in  most  cases, 
are  quacks  of  the  worst  kind,  guaranteeing  cures 
which  they  cannot  always  obtain." 

Dr.  C.  S.  Bluemel  has  this  to  say  of  these  schools: 

"Many  of  them  are  entirely  devoid  of  merit;  they 
have  been  recorded  merely  because  they  are  the  gold 
bricks  that  are  daily  sold  to  stammerers  by  an  in- 
famous fraternity  of  speech  specialists." 

Dr.  W.  A.  Evans,  of  the  Chicago  Tribune,  says: 

"The  great  secret  guarded  by  speech  specialists  is 
the  fact  that  the  stammerer  is  being  buncoed. 

"I  believe  that  if  the  child,  during  the  early  school 
years,  were  given  some  training  in  normal  and  cor- 
rective phonetics,  and  a  few  simple  exercises  in  voice 
training,  that  is,  exercises  for  the  development  of  a 
good  tone,  change  of  pitch  and  inflection,  a  great 
many  of  the  speech  defects  could  be  avoided  al- 
together and  the  average  child's  speech  could  be 
greatly  improved." 

The  best  and  most  vigorous  statement  of  the  case 
is  given  by  Dr.  Burton  Haseltine,  Chicago,  in  the  same 
Journal: 

"No  discriminating  critic  can  study  the  results  of 
voice  training  even  in  our  best  schools  with  any  feeling 
of  satisfaction.  If  we  examine  the  literature  of  the 
subject,  we  arrive  almost  at  the  stage  of  hopelessness. 
Perhaps  any  attempt  to  teach  a  so  subtle  art  by  means 
of  text  books  is  hopeless,  but  at  least  a  discussion  of 


LESSON  XXII 


9 


the  subject  should  be  free  from  silliness.  Much  of  the 
material  found  in  supposedly  standard  books  upon 
voice  culture  is  almost  unbelievably  silly. 

*'One  'teacher'  tells  us  that  there  are  three  lobes  of 
the  lung — one  for  the  lower,  one  for  the  middle  and 
one  for  the  upper  register  in  singing!  From  the  su- 
perior register,  he  says,  we  have  the  high-pitched  tones 
of  the  voice,  because  they  originate  from  the  small 
and  short  air-column  supplied  through  the  superior 
branch  of  the  bronchial  tubes.  This  is  the  extreme  of 
silliness,  but  notions  only  a  little  less  fantastic  can  be 
found  in  almost  any  book  upon  this  subject.  The 
false  conception  of  low  tones  as  'chest  tones'  and  high 
tones  as  'head  tones'  is  almost  universal,  many  writers 
even  placing  head  tones  as  far  upward  as  the  frontal 
sinus!  The  truth,  of  course,  is  practically  the  opposite 
of  this,  since  the  highest  notes  are  those  in  which  the 
head  cavities  are  used  the  least,  while  the  frontal 
sinus  is  the  one  cavity  that  has  no  effect  whatever  upon 
vocal  resonance. 

"One  of  the  world's  greatest  singers  tells  us  in  a 
well-known  book  on  'How  to  Sing,'  that  the  pupil  must 
learn  enough  physiology  to  know  how  to  draw  the  soft 
palate  up  against  the  hard  palate. "  Again  this  writer 
says:  'The  palate  must  remain  elastic  from  the  front 
teeth  to  its  hindmost  part.'  It  is  difhcult  to  understand 
how  anyone  can  imagine  the  palate  near  the  front 
teeth  as  being  elastic,  while  a  person  who  could  draw 
the  soft  palate  up  against  the  hard  palate  without  a 
surgical  operation  would  be  remarkable  indeed. 

"These  and  many  other  confused  statements  seem 
to  result  from  the  attempt  of  an  artist  without  physio- 
logical knowledge  to  describe  the  complex  act  of  sing- 
ing merely  from  the  sensation  experienced.  Great 
mischief  results  from  the  notion  that  exceptional  sing- 


10 


LESSON  XXII 


ers  are  reliable  instructors  in  voice  physiology  and 
voice  training.  It  is  exactly  as  if  the  juggler  or  acrobat 
should  assume  to  teach  physiology,  hygiene  and  medi- 
cine because  he  can  make  his  body  perform  feats 
impossible  to  scientific  men. 

''If  now,  we  look  at  the  other  side  of  the  picture 
we  find  it  not  less  gloomy.  What  have  the  physicians 
taught  us  about  the  art  of  voice  development  and 
what  aid  have  the  specialists  to  offer  the  aspiring  artist? 
Very  little,  we  must  confess.  In  certain  of  the  grosser 
abnormalities  effective  and  safe  treatment  is  now  being 
given,  but  so  much  of  bungling  has  been  done  that 
the  vocal  artist  will  long  stand  in  just  fear  of  the 
throat  specialist.  If  we  are  called  upon  for  instruc- 
tion or  advice  regarding  the  normal  development  of 
voice  or  its  correct  or  incorrect  employment,  our  re- 
sources are  indeed  meagre.  It  w^ould  seem  apparent 
that  the  first  requisite  for  instruction  in  the  subject 
is  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  anatomy,  physiology 
and  the  acoustic  principles  involved  in  voice  produc- 
tion. The  individual  well  grounded  in  all  these  matters 
is  exceptional  both  among  physicians  and  voice  teach- 
ers. Neither  is  there  any  school  of  music  or  of  medi- 
cine where  adequate  instruction  of  this  kind  is  given. 

''When  you  now  turn  to  see  what  remedies  in  the 
past  were  applied  to  the  cure  of  stammering,  you  find 
very  little  of  real  value.  The  physicians,  on  one  hand, 
claimed  stammering  as  a  purely  nervous  disorder.  The 
schools  and  teachers  generally  based  any  remedies 
they  proposed,  upon  corrective  phonetics,  breathing 
or  speaking  in  certain  rhythmical  sentences.  Imitation 
and  suggestion  played  an  important  part.  All  these 
things  are  of  some  value,  but  they  do  not  go  to  the 
real  root  of  all  defective  voices;  hence  a  cure  was 
problematical  at  best." 


LESSON  XXII 


11 


EXERCISES  FOR  LESSON  XXII 
For  Those  Who  Suffer  From 
STAMMERING,  STUTTERING,  OVERLAPPING 
OR  LOSS  OF  VOCAL  CONTROL 

It  is  quite  generally  supposed  that  stammering  and 
similar  afflictions  result  from  a  diseased  condition  of 
the  vocal  organ.  In  some  cases  this  may  be  true,  but 
it  is  not  generally  so.  I  have  had  many  cases  that 
were  paradoxical;  persons  whose  voices  were  full  and 
sweet  and  flowing  while  they  sang,  and  who  none  the 
less  stammered  when  speaking. 

In  all  of  these  cases  I  found  a  naturally  strong 
tongue.  This  discovery  convinced  me  that  these  people 
were  singers  without  knowing  it,  and  that  very  little 
was  necessary  to  make  them  even  great  singers.  My 
conviction  was  confirmed  when,  upon  testing  the  voice, 
I  found  that  they  had  fine,  full  tones  up  to  a  certain 
pitch,  but  after  reaching  that  pitch  were  unable  to 
utter  another  tone,  either  good  or  bad.  They  could 
automatically  stretch  the  vocal  chords  up  to  a  certain 
point,  beyond  which  they  could  not  go.  They  were 
really  between  the  upper  and  nether  millstones.  In 
ordinary  speaking,  the  voice  over-topped  or  over-ran 
their  needs  and  thus  confused  them,  and  prevented  a 
free,  easy  flow  of  words. 

In  attempting  public  speaking  they  would,  at  criti- 
cal moments,  lose  control  and  the  words  would  fail  to 
come  because  the  organ  stopped  working.  In  these 
cases  the  foundation  or  tongue  strength  was  there 
and  aU  that  was  necessary  to  perfect  the  voice  was  a 
little  more  strength  of  the  hyoid  muscle  to  increase 
the  range,  and  a  certain  mental  control  to  prevent  the 
flow  of  excessive  power  in  the  ordinary  conversation. 
If  your  affliction  belongs  to  this  class,  your  progress 


12 


LESSON  XXII 


will  come  from  persistently  practicing  the  thumb  and 
tongue  exercises  and  by  speaking  only  from  the  tongue. 
The  exercises  which  I  shall  give  here  will  serve  to 
give  you  the  required  control  and  hasten  your  prog- 
ress. If  you  follow  them,  vou  will  soon  notice  a 
marked  improvement. 

Stammering  also  results  from  a  weak,  slow-acting 
hyoid  muscle,  when  this  muscle  belongs  to  a  person 
possessing  a  quick-acting  brain.  In  cases  of  this  kind 
the  thoughts  flow  rapidly  and  the  organ  of  speech 
works  slowly,  with  the  result  that  before  one  word  is 
fully  uttered,  the  brain  is  forming  the  tongue  for 
another.  This  causes  confusion  and  a  piling  up  of  the 
words,  some  formed  and  some  half  formed,  and  the 
control  over  speech  is  lost.  After  this  has  occurred  a 
number  of  times,  fear  steps  in  and  makes  things  worse 
by  destroying  the  person's  confidence.  Then  the  law 
of  habit  takes  a  hand  and  makes  this  unpleasant  con- 
dition permanent.  Unfortunately,  it  is  just  as  easy  to 
acquire  the  habit  of  doing  a  thing  in  the  wrong  way 
as  it  is  to  get  the  habit  of  doing  it  in  the  right  way.  In 
all  cases  of  defective  speech,  I  have  found  it  necessary 
to  keep  the  person  persistently  doing  the  right  thing 
until  the  old  habit  is  broken  up.  Once  that  has  been 
accomplished,  the  right  way  becomes  automatic  and 
there  is  no  need  to  give  it  further  thought,  for  it  is 
then  a  habit. 

If  your  case  belongs  to  this  latter  class,  follow  care- 
fully all  the  exercises  given  here  and  also  those  given 
in  previous  lessons.  Your  progress  will  not  be  as 
rapid  as  that  of  those  who  belong  to  the  first  mentioned 
class,  but  it  will  be  certain  and  permanent.  If  you 
consider  the  length  of  time  during  which  you  have 
been  controlled  by  the  wrong  habit  of  speaking,  you 
will  not  expect  to  have  your  vocal  organ  and  vocal 


LESSON  XXII 


13 


muscles  rebuilt  in  a  few  months.  If  your  voice  tires 
easily  or  your  breath  is  soon  exhausted,  or  the  words 
are  formed  slowly,  you  can  be  certain  that  you  belong 
to  this  latter  class  and  you  should  therefore  practice 
faithfully  the  following  exercises. 

First:  Most  people  who  have  defective  voices  are 
also  troubled  with  shortness  of  breath,  and  because  of 
this,  they  are  tempted  to  hold  the  diaphragm  and 
other  breathing  muscles  stiff.  If  you  tire  easily  in  the 
region  of  the  stomach,  you  will  know  that  you  have 
this  fault.  To  correct  it,  you  must  study  and  master 
the  breathing  exercises  given  in  these  lessons  and  learn 
to  relax  the  stomach  muscles. 

Second:  As  already  described  in  Lesson  XI, 
place  the  little  finger  under  the  point  of  the  tongue  and 
speak  or  read  aloud  and  observe  whether  you  feel  the 
beat  of  the  tongue  and  whether  it  continues  all  the 
time  you  are  speaking.  If  the  beat  is  not  continuous, 
you  can  be  sure  that  your  tongue  muscle  is  very  weak 
and  that  you  need  to  practice  the  tongue  exercise  with 
the  thumb's  resistance,  several  times  a  day.  Practice 
each  time  until  the  tongue  muscle  becomes  tired. 

■  You  must  also  do  some  reading  aloud  every  day, 
with  the  little  finger  under  the  tongue  and  also  with- 
out it.  Always  think  of  the  tone  or  voice  as  coming 
out  of  the  tongue.  Also  think  of  the  tongue  as  groov- 
ing slightly  at  the  back  while  speaking,  and,  when  you 
pause  between  the  sentences,  notice  that  the  tongue 
relaxes,  only  to  contract  again  the  instant  you  begin 
speaking.  Try  to  speak  a  little  higher  in  pitch  than 
you  do  ordinarily  and  never  attempt  to  start  the  voice 
from  the  chest,  or  still  worse,  from  the  throat.  All 
tones  should  spring  from  the  head,  and  they  will  do 
so  if  you  speak  from  the  tongue. 


14 


LESSON  XXII 


HOW  YOU  SHOULD  NOT  SPEAK 

People  with  large  vocal  chords  speak  in  a  lower  pitch 
than  those  with  smaller  chords.  The  low  tones  seem 
to  come  from  the  chest,  but  in  reality  they  originate 
and  resonate  from  exactl^^  the  same  place  as  the  higher 
tones.  Those  having  small  vocal  chords  cannot  get  the 
deep  tones  by  speaking  from  the  chest,  no  matter  how 
hard  they  try.  Note  the  following  signs  of  a  falsely 
produced  voice: 

Third:  Place  your  index  finger  under  and  against 
the  ring  cartilage  and  read  or  speak  in  your  usual 
manner  and  observe  whether  this  cartilage  remains 
quietly  upon  your  finger  during  speech,  or  whether 


j 


Fig  132 


LESSON  XXII 


15 


it  pushes  downward.  See  Figure  132.  If  there  is  a 
decided  downward  pressure,  then  you  can  be  sure 
that  your  manner  of  speaking  is  wrong. 

Fourth:  Lay  your  finger  tip  Hghtly  against  the 
thyroid  cartilage  (Adam's  apple)  and  read  or  speak  as 
before.  See  Figure  133.  If  this  cartilage  is  drawn 
upward  away  from  your  finger,  then  your  manner  of 
speaking  is  wrong.  In  a  healthy,  normal  vocal  organ 
the  entire  larynx  remains  in  its  normal  position  during 
speaking. 

Fifth:  Clear  your  throat  several  times  as  though 
you  were  trying  to  raise  a  little  phlegm,  and  observe 
that  this  action  creates  a  feeling  as  though  there  were 


0 


Cr/co/d  Carfihfe, 


Fig.  133 


16 


LESSON  XXII 


two  little  pads  of  flesh  deep  down  in  the  throat  that 
came  together  and  closed  the  throat  and  then  sepa- 
rated again  after  the  clearing.  What  you  feel  are  the 
vocal  chords.  Now  speak  or  read  aloud  and  watch 
closely  to  ascertain  whether  you  speak  from  this  place. 
If  you  do,  your  vocal  habits  are  wrong.  Although  the 
voice  originates  in  the  vocal  chords,  you  should  not  be 
conscious  of  their  existence.  If  you  feel  them,  it  is 
because  they  are  rubbing  against  each  other  and  creat- 
ing an  interference.  When  speaking,  you  should  feel 
the  voice  coming  from  the  tongue  or  head,  but  should 
not  be  conscious  of  any  other  parts  of  the  vocal 
organ. 

Sixth:  Turn  your  back  to  a  window,  open  your 
mouth,  and  with  the  hand  mirror  observe  your  throat. 
Look  carefully  at  the  tonsils,  which  lie  just  back  of 
and  on  each  side  of  the  tongue.  Then  place  a  finger 
well  back  on  the  top  of  the  tongue  and  hold  the  tongue 
down  while  you  whisper  several  times  ''haw."  If  you 
do  this^  very  softly,  you  will  find  that  the  two  tonsils 
approach  each  other  as  though  they  were  trying  to 
close  the  opening  to  the  throat.  Try  this  several  times 
to  make  sure  that  you  understand  the  movement. 
With  your  finger  still  on  the  tongue,  speak  ''aw,"  "a," 
"ee,"  several  times.  By  means  of  a  little  pressure 
from  the  finger,  prevent  the  tongue  from  rising,  that 
you  may  clearly  see  in  the  mirror  the  action  of  the 
tonsils.  Now,  if  the  tonsils  try  to  approach  each 
other  when  you  speak  "aw,"  "a,"  "ee,"  you  can  feel 
certain  that  your  vocal  habits  are  inclifted  toward 
correctness,  but  if  the  tonsils  move  farther  apart  as 
though  they  were  trying  to  open  the  throat  still  more, 
then  your  vocal  habits  are  wrong. 

All  the  above  signs  of  a  wrong  vocal  attack  are 
proofs  that  the  tongue  is  either  naturally  too  weak  or 


LESSON  XXII 


17 


that  wrong  habits  have  wasted  its  natural  power.  I 
have  emphasized  throughout  my  instructions  that  in 
the  absence  of  the  stroke  under  the  tongue  neither 
good  speaking  nor  good  singing  is  possible.  This 
appHes  even  more  strongly  to  those  who  stammer  or 
stutter.  If  this  beat  is  lacking,  you  must  keep  up 
the  tongue  exercises  and  in  your  regular  conversation 
try  always  to  speak  from  the  tongue,  that  is,  speak  as 
though  the  words  rested  upon  or  came  out  of  the 
tongue.  It  is  only  by  getting  this  control  that  a 
permanent  cure  can  be  effected. 

LARYNX  AND  PALATE  MUSCLES 

To  train  the  larynx  and  palate  muscles  and  obtain 
control  over  them,  you  should  practice  the  following 
exercises : 

Seventh :  By  means  of  a  hand  mirror  observe  care- 
fully the  throat  around  and  behind  the  tongue,  and 
especially  the  tonsils.  Place  a  finger  upon  the  tongue 
as  far  back  as  you  can  without  causing  nausea.  Hold 
the  tongue  as  loose  as  possible  and  by  a  pressure  of 
the  finger  prevent  it  from  rising.  Then  breathe  out  or 
whisper  ''haw"  as  silently  as  possible,  and  notice  if 
the  tonsils  draw  toward  each  other  and  if  the  arches 
behind  the  tongue  become  narrower.  Try  to  whisper 
"haw"  gradually  higher  and  higher,  but  very  easily, 
just  as  easily  as  you  can  bring  two  fingers  together. 
If  the  palate  muscles  move  apart  instead  of  toward 
each  other,  it  is  a  sign  that  they  are  almost  wholly 
inactive.  If  they  were  active,  they  would  contract  and 
shorten,  and  thereby  narrow^  the  arches.  Persist  in  the 
exercise  for  bringing  the  tonsils  and  arches  nearer 
together  and  after  one  week  whisper  the  vowels  (a,  e,  i, 
o,  u)  as  well  as  you  can,  both  with  and  without  the 


18 


LESSON  XXII 


finger  on  the  tongue,  and  later  speak  them  aloud. 
Repeat  this  as  often  as  you  can  each  day,  but  for 
only  a  few  minutes  at  a  time.  Always  use  a  mirror 
so  as  to  watch  the  action  of  the  tonsils. 

Eighth:  Place  the  soft  point  of  the  thumb  against 
the  ring  cartilage  and  yawn  silently  several  times. 
See  Figure  132.  Notice  that  this  forces  the  cartilage, 
and  with  it  the  entire  larynx,  strongly  downward 
against  the  thumb.  Now  try  to  make  this  pressure 
on  the  thumb  without  yawning  and  without  any  exer- 
tion, by  mentally  ordering  the  action  to  take  place. 
When  you  can  master  this,  first  whisper,  and  later 
speak  aloud  the  vowels  and  still  later,  sentences,  and 
expect  that  this  cartilage  will  remain  quietly  upon 
the  thumb  without  movement  or  pressure.  It  should 
remain  steadily  in  its  natural  position.  In  speaking 
be  careful  not  to  speak  from  the  throat.  The  voice 
should  sound  clear  and  bright  and  as  if  coming  from 
the  head. 

VOWELS 

Place  the  little  finger  under  the  tongue  and  while 
you  sound  ''awh"  expect  the  tonsils  to  narrow  and 
also  expect  to  feel  a  slight  pressure  on  the  little  finger. 
The  pressure  on  the  finger  and  the  narrow^ing  of  the 
arches  are  absolutely  necessary.  Therefore,  practice 
until  both  actions  are  definite. 

**A"  as  in  'Tale" 

Repeat  as  above,  but  sound  *'a"  as  in  ''pale,"  but 
in  addition  to  having  the  little  finger  under  the  tongue, 
also  place  forefinger  of  the  other  hand  on  the  top 
of  the  rear  part  of  the  tongue  and  note  that  the  fore- 
finger is  being  raised  by  the  tongue. 


LESSON  XXII 


19 


''E"  as  in  ^^Eel" 

Repeat  as  before,  but  sound  "e"  as  in  ''eel."  In 
this  case  the  finger  will  be  raised  still  more  and  the 
tip  of  the  tongue  drawn  away  from  the  teeth.  In 
arching  upward,  the  tongue  becomes  shorter  and  there- 
fore will  draw  a  little  away  from  the  front  teeth.  If 
you  find  difficulty  in  pronouncing  the  *'a"  and  ''e," 
then  practice  the  following  exercise  for  about  five 
minutes  at  a  time.  This  exercise  will  train  the  tongue- 
raising  muscle. 

Exercise  for  Raising  the  Tongue 

Open  your  mouth  and  take  care  that  the  tongue 
lies  loosely  between  the  teeth. 

Next,  sound  several  times  ''kh,"  ''kh,"  ''kh,"  and 
take  care  that  the  back  part  of  the  tongue  is  raised 
every  time  that  you  sound  ''kh." 

Now  place  the  forefinger  of  one  hand  on  the  top 
of  the  tongue,  alternately  on  either  side;  press  the 
forefinger  somewhat  strongly  down  upon  the  tongue 
upon  its  own  side.  Sound  ''kh"  and  you  will  find 
that  in  spite  of  quite  a  heavy  pressure  of  the  finger  your 
tongue  will  rise  upward.  Of  course,  you  must  not  press 
so  hard  as  to  prevent  the  tongue  from  rising  while 
you  sound  ''kh." 

Practice  in  the  same  way  for  ''e"  as  in  ''eel." 

''O"  as  in  'Tole" 

Begin  by  forming  the  mouth  as  for  "awh."  First 
whisper  and  then  speak  "awh."  While  sounding  the 
"awh"  endeavor  at  the  same  time  to  bring  your  lips 
into  a  round  position  to  form  "o"  as  in  "pole."  If  you 
find  this  difficult  to  do,  place  two  finger  ends  against 


20 


LESSON  XXII 


the  corners  of  the  Hps  and  sound  the  ''awh,"  at  the 
same  time  drawing  the  corners  of  the  mouth  in  against 
the  resisting  finger  ends  until  "o"  is  formed.  See 
Figure  134.  Of  course,  during  this  Hp-shaping  exer- 
cise, you  do  not  place  the  finger  on  or  under  the 
tongue.  When  you  can  form  the  lips  correctly,  with- 
out the  help  of  the  finger  ends,  then  make  the  sound 
with  the  finger  under  the  tongue,  as  previously  directed. 

''U"  as  in  ''Rude" 

Practice  exactly  as  instructed  for  ''o,"  but  now  ex- 
pect the  lips  to  close  still  more  tightly  against  the 
rather  strongly  resisting  finger  ends  and  sound  "u"  as 
in  "rude." 


Fig.  134 


LESSON  XXII 


21 


*'A"  as  in  *'Fat" 

Begin  as  for  ''awh,"  but  as  you  go  into  this  "a" 
gradually  widen  the  mouth  and  sound  ''a"  as  in  "fat." 
The  tongue  will  be  raised  somewhat,  but  that  is  as  it 
should  be. 

CONSONANTS 

I  must  again  emphasize  the  fact  that  in  normal 
speaking  the  consonants  and  vowels  are  enunciated  by 
the  involuntary  action  of  the  vocal  muscles;  the  will 
to  speak  causes  them  to  move  automatically.  When 
these  muscles  do  not  act  automatically,  a  voluntary 
contraction  must  be  used  to  gradually  encourage  the 
involuntary  action.  When  this  is  accomplished  normal 
speech  results. 

The  consonants  which  follow  should  be  studied, 
one  at  a  time,  and  especially  those  which  are  most 
difficult  for  you  to  pronounce.  For  the  consonants  I 
shall  not  give  special  instructions  on  the  movement  of 
the  lips  and  tongue,  because  the  desire  of  the  mind 
will,  of  itself,  induce  the  action  of  the  proper  muscles. 
However,  the  correct  position  will  be  more  readily 
attained  if  you  do  not  end  them  with  a  vowel  sound, 
as  is  usually  done.  For  instance,  do  not  pronounce 
"k"  as  "kay,"  or  "b"  as  "bee,"  nor  "1"  as  "ell,"  nor' 
"f"  like  "eff,"  but  as  I  shall  here  explain. 

Ninth:  Seat  yourself  comfortably.  Take  in  breath 
and  at  the  same  time  raise  your  shoulders  and  let  the 
body  and  head  droop  forward,  just  as  though  you 
were  too  tired  to  sit  upright.  Remain  in  this  loose, 
relaxed  position  and  hold  the  breath  for  about  three 
seconds,  then  suddenly  resume  the  upright  position, 
at  the  same  time  letting  go  of  the  breath.  If'  you  do 
this  loosely  enough,  the  breath  will  sound  like  a  "hugh," 
and  this  "hugh"  should  terminate  each  consonant,  so 


22 


LESSON  XXII 


that,  for  instance,  "k"  will  not  sound  as  we  usually 
say  it,  "kay,"  but  "kugh."  In  this  way  only  the 
muscles  which  form  the  consonants  are  employed,  and 
no  others. 

The  consonants  B,  C,  D,  F,  G,  H,  K,  P,  Q,  T,  V, 
W,  X  and  Z  should  be  practiced,  finishing  them  with 
a  "hugh"  sound  Hke  B'ugh,  C'ugh,  D'ugh,  etc.  The 
consonants  L,  M,  N,  R  and  S  must  be  practiced  as 
though  there  were  an  "h"  before  them  and  ''hugh" 
concluding  them.  H'lugh,  h'mugh,  h'nugh,  h'ungh. 
The  '*S"  is  best  practiced  when  it  is  pronounced  like 
"h'zzugh." 

Practice  all  the  vowels  and  consonants  in  the  man- 
ner described,  first  without  and  then  with  the  little 
finger  under  the  tongue,  and  always  as  if  you  were 
talking  from  a  distance,  as  if  you  wanted  to  be  heard 
in  the  next  room.  In  speaking  sentences,  speak  as  if 
you  were  spelling  each  word,  but  so  that  you  connect 
the  consonants  with  the  vowels.  The  following  sen- 
tence: .  .  .  '/and,  behold,  a  door  was  opened  in  heaven, 
and  the  first  voice  which  I  heard  was,  as  it  were,  of 
a  trumpet  talking  with  me,  which  said.  Come  hither 
and  I  will  show  the  things  which  must  be  hereafter" 
should  be  read  aloud  somewhat  like  this: 
"and'ugh,  behold'h,  a  dorr'h  was'h  opened'h  in'h 
heaven'h,  and'h  the'h  first'h  voice'h  which  I'h  heard'h 
was'h  as'h  it'h  were'h  of'h  a  trumpet'h  talking'h  with' 
me'h  which  said'h,  Come'h  up'h  hither'h  and'h  I'h 
will'h  show'h  thee'h  things'h  which  must'h  be'h  here- 
after'h."  ... 

All  the  consonants  which  finish  a  word  should  end 
as  in  "hugh."  That  means,  do  not  stop  the  breath 
with  the  consonant,  but  let  it  escape.  Also  try  to 
start  the  beginning  consonant  in  a  word  with  an 
aspirated    "h."    Gradually   read  a  little  faster  and 


LESSON  XXII 


23 


faster  until  you  can  read  in  a  smoothly  running  manner. 
If  you  have  practiced  carefully,  you  will  notice  that 
although  the  words  are  connected,  as  in  natural  read- 
ing, yet  each  syllable  is  distinct  and  individual.  It  is 
essential  that  you  never  stop  the  breath,  but  speak  on 
until  all  the  breath  is  gone.  Of  course,  this  will  require 
frequent  inhalation,  but  gradually  your  vocal  organ 
will  gain  strength  and  in  time  will  work  rapidly  and 
easily.  Then  little  or  no  breath  will  be  lost  and  your 
syllables  will  remain  distinct.  Practice  alternately 
with  little  finger  under  the  tongue,  and  without,  and 
do  this  for  many  months. 

Do  not  forget  that  the  tongue  exercises  must  be 
repeated  often  and  continued  possibly  for  many  months, 
for  upon  the  tongue's  strength  rests  the  ability  to 
speak  well.  When  the  tongue  has  attained  sufficient 
control  and  strength,  all  difficulties  of  speech  will  have 
disappeared.  Persevere,  for  the  reward  of  a  beautiful, 
full,  freely  flowing  voice  is  worth  many  thousand  times 
more  than  the  effort  it  will  cost  to  obtain  it.  What  is 
worth  having  is  worth  working  for.  Success  comes  to 
all  who  persevere  with  these  exercises,  for  this  system 
of  vocal  development  is  founded  upon  natural  laws. 

I  advise  you  to  read  the  following  frequently. 
First,  always  read  aloud  and  distinctly  with  the  little 
finger  under  the  tongue,  then  without,  and  so  alter- 
nately. If  you  can  read  this  passage  fluently  you  are 
certainly  cured. 

By  P.  R.  Galligan 

"The  rabbit  is  a  timid  thing,  its  wonted  trepida- 
tion, the  consequence  of  pondering  abrupt  annihilation. 
The  constant  fear  of  lurking  foe  creates  a  perturbation 
which  in  the  rabbit's  brain  we  know  as  lococerebration, 
a  mental  state  one  may  detect  in  men  of  furtive  habit, 


24 


LESSON  XXII 


who,  though  suspicious,  ne'er  suspect  their  kinship 
with  a  rabbit. 

**The  rabbit  is  a  stupid  thing,  its  nervous  excitation 
apparently  engendering  a  hyperobfuscation.  The  sun- 
Ht  aisles  of  hill  and  dale  escape  its  observation;  it 
blindly  takes  the  darkest  trail  to  reach  its  destination. 
Some  men  there  be  with  greed  of  gain  and  eagerness 
to  grab  it  who  covertly  their  goal  attain  much  as  the 
fearful  rabbit. 

"The  rabbit  is  a  foolish  thing,  its  love  of  depreda- 
tion quite  frequently  contributing  to  its  own  extirpa- 
tion. The  pillage  of  a  cabbage  patch  provides  a 
delectation  which  nothing  else  on  earth  can  match  in 
bunny's  estimation.  To  'kill'  a  good  thing  since  it's 
free  or  otherwise  to  crab  it  is  not  a  fault  exclusively 
pecuHar  to  the  rabbit. 

"The  rabbit  is  a  selfish  thing  of  sordid  inclination; 
it  cares  not  so  the  seasons  bring  its  share  of  vegetation. 
Save  as  the  common  weal  affects  its  personal  salvation, 
the  common  weal  in  all  respects  is  just  a  botheration. 
A  concept  of  the  social  state  wherein  men  likewise 
stab  it,  unconscious  that  they  intimate  the  logic  of 
the  rabbit. 

"The  rabbit  is  a  wicked  thing  responsive  to  temp- 
tation, a  wanton  creature  weltering  in  bestial  dissipa- 
tion. Though  occupied  with  diligence  in  fecund 
propagation,  it  treats  with  but  indifference  the 
second  generation.  Forsooth,  the  moral  of  this  tale, 
if  one  presume  to  blab  it,  is  merely  that  the  human 
male  has  nothing  on  the  rabbit." 

All  stammerers  must  remember  that  for  years, 
perhaps,  they  have  had  the  bad  habits  which  produce 
stammering.  The  only  way  to  get  rid  of  a  bad  habit 
is  to  replace  it  with  a  good  habit.* 


LESSON  XXII 


25 


To  acquire  a  new  habit  may  take  time  and  cer- 
tainly needs  practice  and  constant  watchfulness.  Sure- 
ly you  will  make  the  effort! 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XXII 

1.  What  is  the  physiological  cause  of  stammering? 

2.  Do  you  believe  that  the  mental  disturbance  of 
the  stammerer  is  caused  for  the  most  part  by  a  defect 
of  the  vocal  organism? 

3.  Is  your  voice,  when  you  speak  or  sing  normally, 
strong  or  weak?  ^-zp^^ 

4.  Are  you  absolutely  sure  of  having  succeeded  in 
isolating  the  hyo-glossi  muscle? 

5.  When  you  make  the  groove,  do  both  palate  and 
larynx  remain  absolutely  immovable? 

6.  Do  you  feel  a  distinct  beat  against  the  finger 
under  the  tongue,  when  the  groove  is  made? 

7.  Do  you  feel  a  distinct  beat  on  every  vowel? 

8.  Do  you  feel  a  distinct  beat  on  every  consonant? 

9.  When  you  speak,  does  the  cricoid  cartilage  move 
perceptibly  or  is  it  quiet? 

10.  Can  you  now  read  'The  Rabbit"  without 
stammering? 

Remember 

No  real  progress  can  be  expected  until  you  have 
isolated  the  hyo-glossi  muscle,  as  taught  so  often! 
Now  and  then  review  Lessons  VI  and  XI. 

Do  not  fail  to  do  some  reading  aloud  every  day, 
first  with  little  finger  under  the  tongue,  then  without. 
You  must  gain  the  habit  of  speaking  from  the  tongue, 
otherwise  no  cure  is  possible. 


LESSON  XXIII 

A  RECAPITULATION  OF  THE  POINTS  YOU 
HAVE  STUDIED 

In  the  course  of  corresponding  with  my  students, 
I  notice  that  some  of  them  seem  to  lose  sight  of  the 
object  of  these  lessons.  They  forget  the  main  facts,  the 
real  reasons  for  these  lessons,  hence  a  restatement  of 
the  object  of  these  lessons  is  given. 

Please  read  this  lesson  very  carefully,  and  make  fre- 
quent reference  to  former  lessons  when  points  are  men- 
tioned that  are  not  perfectly  clear.  I  am  sure  you  will 
agree  with  me  that  this  recapitulation  is  very  helpful 
when  studied  closely. 

THE  PERFECT  VOICE 

The  purpose  of  these  lessons  is  to  demonstrate  and 
prove  that  a  perfect  voice,  that  is,  a  voice  which  will 
meet  all  demands  of  volume,  beauty  and  compass,  can 
be  attained  only  when  the  instrument  which  produces 
it — the  Vocal  Organ — is  perfect  in  all  its  parts. 

A  vocal  organ  that  is  imperfect  cannot  be  made 
perfect  through  the  mere  action  of  singing  or  speaking, 
because,  in  speaking  or  singing,  the  various  parts  of 
the  instrument  can  only  do  what  they  are  then  capable 
of  doing.  As  a  rule,  an  imperfect  vocal  organ  is  de- 
fective only  in  one  part,  but  because  of  this  one  de- 
ficiency the  action  of  the  whole  is  affected,  and  all 
parts  are  thereby  weakened. 

The  mere  singing  of  scales  or  reciting  of  passages 
from  memory  cannot  develop  the  voice  to  any  great 
degree,  in  fact,  it  usually  has  the  opposite  effect.  Why? 
For  this  reason :  The  singer  does  not  know  in  what  par- 
ticular part  of  his  vocal  organ  the  weakness  lies.  He 

1 


2 


LESSON  XXIII 


may  sing  very  well  up  to  a  certain  note,  usually  to  F 
on  the  fifth  line,  after  that  the  tones  become  hard, 
sharp,  or  shrill,  or  faint,  breathy  and  thin.  In  the  first 
instance  he  supposes  that  he  is  making  too  much  effort, 
which  is  true.  He  is  told  by  his  teacher  to  relax,  to 
loosen,  to  make  no  effort  whatever.  If  he  succeeds  in 
doing  this  the  result  is  a  thin  tone  of  no  volume,  and 
one  devoid  of  character.  And  if  he  continues  using  a 
tone  of  this  kind,  even  the  tones  which  were  originally 
full  and  strong  will  soon  become  thin  and  weak  also. 

All  excessive  effort  used  in  singing,  except  mental 
effort,  is  destructive,  for  it  interferes  with  and  retards 
the  free  action  of  the  vocal  organ.  If  the  singer  has 
to  make  any  perceptible  effort  of  breath  or  throat 
action  to  reach  a  certain  note  or  a  certain  effect,  he 
may  be  sure  that  his  vocal  organ  is  more  or  less  weak, 
for  when  the  vocal  organ  is  proportionately  strong  in 
all  its  parts,  then  all  tones  and  shades  come  with  the 
utmost  ease,  requiring  only  mental  effort  to  produce 
them. 

t  The  part  of  the  vocal  organ  which  decides  the  vol- 
ume, beauty,  compass  and  most  of  the  shading  and 
articulation,  is  the  tongue.  The  tongue  sets  into  action 
the  entire  vocal  mechanism.  It  is  the  only  part  that 
can  contract  with  perfect  ease  and  rapidity.  Its  mus- 
cles are  attached  in  front  to  a  firm,  inflexible  bone,  the 
chin,  and  at  the  other  end,  the  rear,  to  the  freely 
moving  larynx  and  to  other  muscles.  The  tongue  lies 
between  the  hard  and  soft  palates  above,  and  the 
larynx  below,  and  works  on  the  principle  of  leverage, 
trying  to  draw  the  palate  and  larynx  toward  each  other. 
Now,  in  just  the  degree  that  the  tongue  possesses 
strength,  can  it  awaken  the  force  or  the  dormant 
strength  in  the  other  parts  of  the  vocal  organ,  because 


LESSON  XXIII 


3 


no  muscle  can  exert  greater  power  than  is  supplied  by 
the  resistance  against  which  it  acts  and  reacts. 

To  illustrate:  lift  a  book  from  the  table  and  notice 
how  little  force  is  exerted,  how  little  your  muscles  con- 
tract. Then  lift  a  chair  and  note  how  much  more 
power  your  muscles  exert.  Next,  let  a  friend  sit  on 
the  chair  and  then  try  to  lift  it.  Here  you  find  a  re- 
sistance that  calls  forth  the  utmost  of  which  your 
muscles  are  capable.  From  this  simple  experiment  you 
can  learn  a  valuable  lesson  in  the  law  of  resistance. 
In  lifting  the  book,  you  met  with  very  little  resistance, 
hence  you  exerted  very  little  muscular  power;  lifting 
the  chair  called  forth  much  more  power.  But  it  was 
the  third  experiment  that  really  proved  the  power  you 
possessed,  that  showed  you  what  you  were  capable  or 
incapable  of  doing.  ^ 

The  lesson  is  this:  the  vocal  chords  can  be  con- 
tracted so  that  they  remain  thin  and  attenuated,  in 
which  case  the  tone  is  also  thin  and  the  compass  small, 
or  they  can  be  made  thick  and  tense,  in  which  case 
the  tones  will  be  strong  and  the  compass  large.  How 
this  is  done  and  what  mechanism  Nature  has  provided 
for  doing  it  has  been  shown  in  previous  lessons. 

I  will  again  state  here,  however,  that  to  give  forth 
sound,  the  vocal  chords  must  be  stretched  as  are  the 
strings  of  other  instruments.  Nature  has  made  two  pro- 
visions for  stretching  the  vocal  chords;  one  is  internal, 
within  the  larynx  and  entirely  automatic,  the  other  is 
external,  making  use  of  the  muscles  which  connect  the 
larynx  to  the  collar  bone,  the  tongue  and  the  head. 
The  external  stretching  is  voluntary  and  is  due  a  most 
entirely  to  the  activity  of  the  tongue.  When  the  vocal 
chords  are  permitted  to  remain  thin,  the  resistance  to 
be  overcome  is  very  little,  and  the  power  within  the 


4 


LESSON  XXIII 


larynx  is  usually  sufficient  to  stretch  them.  But  the 
tones,  in  such  a  case,  will  be  thin.  The  tones  may  be 
sweet  and  pretty  and  sufficient  in  strength  to  meet  the 
demands  of  the  less  ambitious,  but  since  they  lack 
volume  they  are  without  pathos  and  character,  and  are 
utterly  unsuited  to  public  performance  or  even  to  the 
more  pretentious  private  singing  and  speaking. 

But  when  the  vocal  chords  enlarge  in  size  and  con- 
tract strongly,  the  resistance  which  has  to  be  overcome 
in  stretching  them  is  very  great,  so  that  unusual  power 
in  the  external,  voluntary  muscles  is  required.  This 
external  chord-stretching  power  is  possessed  principally 
by  the  great  singers  and  orators.  But,  as  one  may 
acquire  a  great  piano  technic,  so  one  may  develop  the 
mechanism  which  will  produce  as  good  a  voice  as  the 
greatest  singers  and  orators  possess.  Technic,  whether 
in  playing  an  instrument,  or  in  using  the  human  voice, 
is,  in  the  main,  strength  and  muscular  development 
under  control.  All  that  is  needed  is  to  know  how  to 
develop  the  right  muscles  and  then  train  them  per- 
sistently. 

So  far  the  laws  of  physiology  and  anatomy,  as  they 
apply  to  the  vocal  organ,  have  been  given.  Also  much 
of  the  laws  of  vocal  mechanics.  The  physiology  and 
anatomy  of  the  breath-supplying  organ  will  be  given 
very  soon. 

A  most  important  part,  and  one  entirely  new  is 
presented  to  you  in  this  less(5n.  It  is  an  explanation 
of  the  "Laws  of  Physics  and  Sound"  as  related  to  the 
human  voice. 

This  subject  is  purely  theoretical.  In  itself,  alone, 
it  will  not  help  you  to  improve  your  voice.  The  theo- 
retical parts  of  the  lessons  were  written  for  the  purpose 
of  explaining  and  proving  my  discovery.  To  do  this, 
it  has  been  necessary  to  state  technical  facts,  to  sepa- 


LESSON  XXIII 


5 


rate  and  show  the  specific  action  and  purpose  of  the 
different  muscles,  cartilages  and  bones  that  make  up 
the  vocal  organism.  In  doing  this,  I  have,  as  far  as 
possible,  avoided  technical  expressions  that  the  student 
might  easier  understand  at  a  reading,  that  which  the 
expert  and  the  physiologist  spent  a  lifetime  in  acquir- 
ing. 

To  state  that  such  and  such  things  are  so,  while 
true,  is  not  sufficient,  for  it  does  not  prove  the  case. 
In  this  course  of  study  I  have  proven  my  claims  beyond 
contradiction.  I  have  shown  the  true  cause  of  strong 
and  weak,  of  perfect  and  imperfect  voices.^  I  have 
definitely  located  the  flaw  that  limits  the  power  and 
beauty  of  the  human  voice.  I  have  subjected- my  dis- 
covery to  every  law  of  physics,  anatomy  and  mechanics, 
and  have  proven  it  mathematically  correct.  Further- 
more, I  have  proven  it  to  be  infallible  in  practice  in 
hundreds  of -student  tests. 

Before  a  defect  can  be  remedied,  we  must  find  it. 
In  the  case  of  the  human  voice,  both  the  defect  and 
the  remedy  have  been  found,  and  now  every  voice  may 
be  developed  to  the  utmost  of  which  it  is  capable. 
These  lessons  reveal  the  defect  in  a  way  that  all  who 
read  with  care  will  recognize.  While  every  student 
should  read  these  explanations  and  become  acquainted 
with  his  own  vocal  organ  and  its  defects,  I  do  not 
claim  that  the  voice  can  be  corrected  merely  by  read- 
ing them.  The  exercises  will  do  that. 

Knowledge  is  power.  When  the  student  knows 
what  must  be  done  and  how  to  do  it,  he  has  only  to 
persevere  in  the  doing  to  accomplish  his  greatest  de- 
sires. 

So  much  misunderstanding  exists  in  regard  to  vocal 
resonance,  that  it  becomes  necessary  to  give  my  stu- 
dents a  clear  statement  and  proofs  of  the  facts  in  the 


6 


LESSON  XXIII 


Fig.  135 

Mary  Garden  as  "Prince  Charming"  in  Cinderella 


LESSON  XXIII 


7 


case.  Without  resonance  there  can  be  no  good  tone 
or  voice.  This  has  been  understood  all  along  and  by 
every  teacher,  singer,  speaker,  as  well  as  by  all  manu- 
facturers of  musical  instruments  everywhere.  But 
whereas  the  musical  instrument  makers  have  in  most 
cases  succeeded  in  producing  resonance  by  natural 
means,  the  vocalists  have  gone  far  astray.  The  musical 
instrument  manufacturers  recognize  that  the  resonance 
depends  upon  the  quality  of  the  material  used  and  the 
superiority  of  the  instrument  which  they  manufacture. 
The  vocalists,  on  the  contrary,  look  to  some, mysterious, 
mythical,  exterior  source  for  the  resonance.  What  sins 
have  been  committed  in  the  name  of  resonance!  With 
the  utmost  gravity  and  pompous  assurance,  the  silliest 
and  inconceivably  stupid  theories  have  been  promul- 
gated and  accepted  by  unthinking  people. 

The  following  statement  is  compiled  from  the  (false) 
theories  most  commonly  held  concerning  resonance: 

"The  resonance  chambers  perform  the  same  func- 
tions as  the  sounding  board  of  a  piano,  or  the  cavity 
of  a  violin.  If  it  were  not  for  the  vibration  of  the  air 
in  the  mouth  cavity,  nose  cavity,  and  sinuses  of  the 
bones,  the  voice  could  have  neither  volume  nor  quahty. 
The  size  and  form  of  these  cavities  determines  the 
tones  and  quality  to  which  the  air  confined  in  them 
will  vibrate." 

Out  of  this  theory  have  grown  many  systems  which 
have  for  their  aim  to  produce  vocal  resonance.  These 
systems  are  called  "voice  placing,"  meaning  thereby, 
that  each  tone  has  a  certain  place  in  the  human  anat- 
omy. The  low  tones  are  supposed  to  be  placed  in 
the  chest,  the  medium  tones  in  the  face  or  "mask,"  the 
high  tones  far  up  in  the  head  and  skull.  This  voice 
placing  is  also  called  "focusing"  the  voice. 


8 


LESSON  XXIII 


Strange  and  weird  exercises  are  employed  to  obtain 
resonance  and  to  place  or  focus  the  voice.  The  most 
common  among  these  exercises  is  "humming"  the  tone, 
or  using  the  consonant  "hng,"  or  the  vowels  *'e,"  "i," 
"oh,"  or  "ooh." 

As  my  method  is  based  entirely  upon  facts  and  rea- 
son, it  becomes  necessary  to  go  somewhat  deeper  into 
the  study  of  the  laws  of  physics  as  related  to  the  voice, 
in  order  to  clear  up  this  matter  of  resonance.  The 
main  fact  to  be  proven  is,  that  the  volume  and  quality 
^  and  resonance  are  the  result  of  a  perfect  voice 
and  not,  as  has  heretofore  been  assumed,  that  the  per- 
fect voice  is  the  result  of  resonance.  Or,  in  other  words, 
the  perfect  voice  is  the  result  of  a  perfect  vocal 
organ,  which  because  it  is  complete  and  without  fault 
will  produce  the  complete  and  faultless  voice.  Good 
resonance  cavities  without  a  good  vocal  organ  will 
never  give  you  a  good  voice  and  the  quicker  you  make 
up  your  mind  to  accept  this  fact,  just  that  much 
quicker  will  you  be  on  the  road  to  a  Perfect  Voice. 

In  the  old  way  you  were  taught  to  make  a  voice 
perfect  by  doing  something  in  addition  to  vocal  utter- 
ance, adding  something  to  the  tone  after  it  was  created. 

In  my  new  way,  you  are  taught  to  complete  the 
instrument  so  that  a  perfect  voice  will  be  the  result 
automatically  and  instantaneously. 

THE  LAWS  OF  PHYSICS  AND  SOUND- 
CHARACTER  OF  SONOROUS  MOTION 

Extracts  from  Tyndall's  excellent  work  will  explain 
the  nature  of  sound. 

''The  various  nerves  of  the  body  have  their  origin 
in  the  brain,  which  is  the  seat  of  sensation.  When  a 
finger  is  wounded,  the  nerves  convey  to  the  brain  in- 


LESSON  XXIII 


9- 


telligence  of  the  injury,  but  if  these  nerves  were  severed 
no  pain  would  be  experienced  no  matter  how  serious 
the  injury  might  be. 

"Applying  a  flame  to  a  small  collodion  balloon  which 
contains  a  mixture  of  oxygen  and  hydrogen,  the  gases 
explode  and  the  ear  is  conscious  of  a  shock,  which  we 
name  sound.  How  was  this  shock  transmitted  from 
the  balloon  to  our  organs  of  hearing?  The  process  was 
this:  When  the  flame  touched  the  mixed  gases  in  the 
balloon  they  combined  chemically  and  their  union 
caused  the  development  of  intense  heat.  This  heated 
air  expanded  suddenly,  violently  forcing  the  surround- 
ing air  away  on  all  sides.  This  motion  of  the  air  close 
to  the  balloon  was  rapidly  imparted  to  the  air  a  little 
farther  off.  The  air  at  a  little  distance  passed  its 
motion  to  the  air  at  a  greater  distance,  thus  each  parti- 
cle of  air  took  up  the  motion  of  the  one  preceding  and 
transmitted  it  to  the  succeeding  particle  of  air,  thus 
propagating  a  pulse  of  air  wave." 


Fig.  136 


The  propagation  of  sound  may  be  explained  by  a 
homely  but  useful  illustration.  In  Figure  136  are 
placed  five  boys  in  a  row,  one  behind  the  other,  each 
boy's  hand  resting  against  the  back  of  the  boy  in  front 
of  him.  E  is  foremost  and  A  finished  the  row.  Sup- 
pose somebody  suddenly  pushes  A,  then  A  pushes  B, 


10 


LESSON  XXIII 


and  by  the  resistance  afforded  by  B,  regains  his  up- 
right position.  B  pushes  C,  and  so  on.  E,  having  no 
one  in  front  of  him,  is  thrown  forward.  Had  E  been 
standing  on  the  edge  of  a  precipice,  he  would  have 
fallen  over.  Had  he  stood  in  front  of  a  window  he 
would  have  broken  the  glass.  Had  he  been  close  to  a 
drumhead  he  would  have  struck  the  drum.  Thus 
sound  is  sent  through  the  air  and  strikes  the  drum  of 
the  distant  ear. 

INTENSITY  OF  SOUND 

In  the  case  of  the  exploding  balloon  the  wave  of 
sound  expands  on  all  sides,  the  motion  produced  by 
the  explosion  being  thus  diffused  over  a  continually 
augmenting  mass  of  air.  Suppose  our  balloon  to  be  a 
thin  shell  with  a  radius  of  one  foot,  reckoned  from  the 
center  of  explosion.  A  balloon  of  the  same  thickness, 
but  of  two  feet  radius,  will  contain  eight  times  the 
quantity  of  matter;  if  its  radius  be  three  feet,  it  will 
contain  twenty-seven  times  the  quantity  of  matter;  if 
four  feet,  it  will  contain  sixty-four  times  the  quantity 
of  matter,  and  so  on.  Thus  the  intensity  of  loudness 
of  sound  increases  as  the  quantity  of  matter  set  in 
motion  augments. 

VELOCITY  OF  SOUND  WAVES 

By  sending  a  sound  through  a  tube  with  a  smooth 
interior  surface,  it  may  be  transmitted  to  a  great  dis- 
tance with  very  little  diminution  of  intensity.  Figure 
137  represents  a  tin  tube,  fifteen  feet  long.  At  the 
pointed  end  of  the  tube  is  placed  a  lighted  candle  (C). 
When  the  hands  are  clapped  at  one  end  of  the  tube, 
the  flame  instantly  ducks  down  at  the  other.  It  is  not 
quite  extinguished,  but  it  is  forcibly  depressed.  At  the 
instant  two  blocks  of  wood  (B  B)  are  clapped  together, 
the  candle  is  blown  out.   This  shows  in  a  rough  way 


LESSON  XXIII  11 


Fig.  137 


the  speed  with  which  sound  waves  are  propagated. 
The  instant  the  clap  is  heard  the  flame  is  extinguished, 
though  the  sound  had  to  travel  fifteen  feet.  The  time 
required  for  the  sound  to  travel  through  this  tube  is 
too  short  for  our  senses  to  appreciate.  (This  also  dis- 
poses of  the  mistaken  notion  that  a  tone  can  be 
directed  at  the  will  of  the  singer  to  the  chest,  the  face 
or  to  the  head,  for  the  very  simple  reason  that  the  tone 
has  left  the  singer's  throat  and  is  beyond  his  control 
before  he  hears  it.) 

VELOCITY  AND  INTENSITY 

In  regard  to  sound  and  the  medium  through  which 
it  passes,  four  distinct  things  are  to  be  borne  in  mind: 
velocity,  elasticity,  density  and  intensity. 

The  velocity  of  sound  depends  upon  the  elasticity 
in  relation  to  its  density.  The  greater  the  elasticity, 
the  swifter  is  the  propagation.  The  greater  the  density, 
the  slower  is  the  propagation.  Thus  a  steel  rod  will 
propagate  sound  four  times  faster  than  the  same  rod 
made  of  lead,  because  lead  is  four  times  as  dense  as 
steel. 

The  velocity  is  directly  proportional  to  the  square 
root  of  the  elasticity.  The  intensity  of  sound  is  pro- 
portional to  the  square  root  of  the  sounding  material. 

By  velocity  of  sound  is  meant  the  speed  or  rate  of 
motion  in  which  sound  travels. 


12 


LESSON  XXIII 


By  elasticity  is  meant,  for  instance:  When  an  ex- 
ternal force  produces  alterations  in  the  form  of  a  solid 
body,  and  if,  when  this  force  ceases  to  act,  the  solid 
body  instantly  resumes  its  previous  form.  In  the  pro- 
portion that  such  a  body  resumes  its  natural  form 
quickly  or  slowly,  its  elasticity  is  extreme  or  not.  The 
propagation  of  waves  of  sound  through  solid  bodies 
depends  upon  their  elasticity.  An  elastic  body  will 
transmit  sound  faster  than  a  non-elastic  body. 

Density,  when  of  two  bodies  of  equal  volume,  one 
of  them  contains  more  matter  (is  heavier)  than  the 
other,  it  is  said  to  have  greater  density.  For  instance: 
A  board  of  a  certain  shape  and  size  made  of  pine  wood 
is  of  much  less  density  than  a  board  of  the  same  shape 
and  size  but  made  of  oak.  For  this  reason  a  sound 
coming  through  a  pine  board  is  soft  and  mellow,  while 
the  sound  from  oak  would  be  sharp  and  hard. 

The  square  root  of  a  number  is  that  number 
which  when  used  twice  as  a  factor,  produces  the  num- 
ber; thus  two  is  the  square  root  of  four,  since  two  times 
two  equals  four.  Also  the  square  root  of  nine  is  three, 
because  three  times  three  are  nine,  etc. 

Intensity  means  the  louder,  more  energetic  or  vigor- 
ous sound  as  compared  with  the  soft  and  mellow 
sound.  The  sound  of  steel  is  more  intense  than  the 
sound  which  comes  from  wood,  and  the  sound  of  a 
violin  string  or  of  a  vocal  muscle  is  more  mellow  than 
that  from  wood,  etc. 

EXERCISES  TO  LESSON  XXIII 

As  a  preliminary  to  this  lesson,  try  the  following 
experiment: 

(1)  Get  a  straight  stick  of  wood  and  call  it  the 
beam  of  a  balance  scale.   Balance  this  beam  on  your 


LESSON  XXIII 


13 


table,  by  placing  the  center  of  it  upon  a  cork  or  some 
other  elevation  in  such  a  way  that  the  beam  lies  exactly 
parallel  with  the  table.  Or  tie  a  string  in  the  center 
of  the  beam  and  hold  it  in  your  hand.  The  straight 
beam  is  to  represent  .the  larynx,  when  all  the  muscles 
which  are  attached  to  it  operate  in  equal  proportion. 
In  this  case  there  is  no  shifting,  no  wavering  of  the 
beam  or  scale. 

(2)  Let  the  left  side  of  the  beam  represent  the  point 
at  which  the  throat  muscles  are  attached.  Now  hang 
or  place  a  small  weight  on  that  side  to  see  that  the 
scale  tips  that  way.  Why?  Because  there  is  no  balance 
weight  on  the  other  side.  So  in  voice,  when  the  throat 
muscles  alone  are  active,  the  larynx  is  pulled  down- 
ward. This  downward  pull  of  the  larynx  leaves  the 
vocal  chords  loose  and  they  are  less  tense,  softer  and 
thicker.  Because  of  this,  the  tones  become  strong,  but 
rough  and  coarse.  Very  low  tones  can  be  obtained  by 
this  action,  even  by  ordinary  high  voices,  but  the  voice 
is  throaty.  The  advice  to  ''open  the  throat"  so  often 
given  to  voice  students,  has  as  a  consequence,  exactly 
this  action.  Try  to  open  the  throat,  yawn  or  merely 
think  of  yawning  and  the  throat  muscles  will  at  once 
lower  the  larynx.  It  is  true  the  voice  becomes  at  once 
lower  and  heavier.  What  it  gains  in  depth  is  lost  in 
the  higher  tones.  What  it  gains  in  volume  is  also  lost 
in  quality! 

(3)  Let  the  right  side  of  the  beam  represent  the 
soft  palate;  that  is,  suppose  the  muscles  from  the 
palate  and  the  head  are  attached  to  the  right  side  of 
the  scale  near  the  end.  But  now  instead  of  placing  a 
weight  on  that  side,  pull  it  upward. 

The  throat  muscles  pull  the  larynx  down,  the  palate 
muscles  pull  the  larynx  up.  The  upward  pull  of  the 
palate  muscles  is  much  lighter  than  the  downward 


14 


LESSON  XXIII 


pull  of  the  throat  muscles.  In  consequence  of  this,  the 
vocal  chords  do  not  become  thicker  and  looser  as  is  the 
case  when  the  throat  muscles  alone  are  active,  but  on 
the  contrary,  they  shrink  and  become  thinner,  only  a 
portion  of  them  is  vocalized,  hence  the  voice  becomes 
thin,  but  also  high.  To  get  a  high  voice  quickly,  all 
you  need  to  do  is  to  raise  the  larynx. 

When  teachers  advise  directing  the  voice  to  the 
palate  or  to  the  head,  this  is  what  happens.  Directing 
the  voice  upward  prompts  the  palate  and  head  muscles 
to  contraction;  the  throat  muscles  relax  and  are  elon- 
gated; they  do  not  resist  the  upward  pull  against  the 
larynx.  This  action,  as  was  said,  raises  the  voice,  but 
it  makes  it  thin  and  light,  too  light  for  public  singing. 
Most  amateur  female  voices  are  made  this  way,  and  it 
must  be  conceded  that  the  voice  is  often  very  sweet 
and  attractive,  but  sadly  lacks  the  full,  rich  volume  of 
tone  so  greatly  desired. 

For  a  few  years  such  voices  often  reap  considerable 
success  even  in  public,  in  light  opera  and  church,  espe- 
cially so  if  the  singer  is  very  attractive.  But  the  con- 
stant strain  upon  such  a  voice  quickly  ruins  it,  and  this 
accounts  for  the  fact  that  so  many  singers  disappear 
from  public  view  after  a  few  years. 

(4)  Now  place  an  equal  weight  upon  each  end  of 
the  beam  of  scale.  Notice  now  that  there  is  no  down- 
ward tipping  or  upward  raising  of  the  ends;  but  as 
you  can  easily  feel  by  testing  it,  the  middle  of  the  beam 
is  held  firmly. 

In  the  voice,  the  balance  is  held  by  the  hyo-glossi 
muscles,  because  they  add  their  strength  to  the  up- 
ward-pulling palate  and  head  muscles.  In  addition 
they  tilt  the  front  part  of  the  hyoid  bone  downward, 
thus  counteracting  the  upward  pull  of  the  thyroid 


LESSON  XXIII 


15 


cartilage.  Lastly  they  give  to  the  tongue  that  support 
which  is  needed  for  all  vocal  muscles,  and  finally 
through  this  action,  the  tongue,  the  palate  and  all 
other  legitimate  vocal  muscles,  become  firm  and  tense, 
so  that  their  vibrations  can  be  added  to  the  volume 
and  quality  of  the  voice. 


Fig.  138 


Throat  Muscles  Correct  Action.  t-^^^T^'^l'nx 

pulling  Larynx  High  and  Low  P"^^'''?^     H  fJ^h 

down.     Low  voice,  Voice,  Strong  u  p  w  a  r  d  High 

burrough-.  Highest  Type  of  voice,  but  thin. 

Quality. 

You  are  now  somewhat  familiar,  I  trust,  with  the 
action  of  contracting  the  hyo-glossi  muscle  against  the 
resistance  of  the  thumb  or  the  tongue  support. 

It  is  so  very  easy  to  do  the  wrong  thing,  at  least 
the  temptation  to  do  more  than  is  absolutely  necessary 
is  very  great  indeed.  Usually  the  student  thinks  that 
by  a  greater  exertion  he  will  gain  strength  more  quickly. 
He  points  to  an  athlete,  who  adds  to  his  strength  by 
vigorous  practice  of  lifting  or  punching. 

The  voice  student  must  remember  that  this  does 
not  apply  to  him  at  all.  When  the  hyo-glossi  muscle 
contracts,  it  raises  merely  the  hyoid  bone  and  nothing 
else.  What  you  notice  as  a  great  pressure  of  the 
tongue,  is  merely  a  contraction  upward.  Many  thmk 
that  they  can  increase  this  contraction  by  sheer  force. 
-  In  this  they  are  greatly  mistaken.  Nothing  whatever 
can  be  done  except  to  let  the  tongue  fall  of  its  own 


16 


LESSON  XXIII 


weight  upon  the  underlying  thumb  or  tongue  support. 
That  is  all  that  you  should  do;  all  that  you  possibly 
can  do,  to  be  absolutel}^  right.  Remember  this  for 
all  time! 

The  tests  already  given  of  holding  the  larynx  quiet, 
while  making  the  groove  and  the  same  with  the  palate, 
are  absolute  proof  of  a  correct  action. 

Some  students,  however,  and  especially  those  with 
a  naturally  strong  action  of  the  hyo-glossi  muscles,  and 
among  these  must  be  counted  the  stammerer  and  stut- 
terer, persistently  thicken  and  stiffen  the  tongue  tip, 
even  in  the  silent  practice. 

Against  this  fault,  make  the  following  tests: 

(1)  Place  the  thumb  far  back  under  the  tongue, 
then  take  hold  of  the  tip  of  the  tongue,  about  one  inch 
or  a  I'ttle  more,  with  handkerchief  between  two  fingers 
of  the  other  hand.  See  to  it  that  the  tip  of  the  tongue 
remains  loose  while  you  draw  the  tongue  slightly  back- 
w^ard.  Hold  the  tip  of  the  tongue  firmly  between  the 
fingers,  but  as  the  tongue  is  drawn  backward,  let  the 
fingers  follow;  that  is,  it  will  seem  as  if  you  are  drawing 
the  fingers  inside  of  the  mouth.  Notice  that  in  this 
effort,  you  feel  a  pretty  strong  pressure  of  the  tongue 
upon  the  underlying  thumb. 

(2)  Again  place  the  thumb  under  the  tongue  far 
back,  as  far  as  the  last  back  teeth.  Also  hold  the  tip 
of  the  tongue  now  very  firmly  between  the  two  fingers 
of  the  other  hand,  wrapped  of  course,  with  a  handker- 
chief. Having  gained  this  position,  now  try  to  pull 
the  tongue  outw^ard,  forward  beyond  the  teeth.  But, 
and  this  is  very  important,  do  not  let  the  tongue  be 
drawn  out.  By  a  conscious  effort  of  your  will,  draw 
the  rear  part  of  the  tongue  as  strongly  backward  as 
you  draw  the  front  part  of  the  tongue  forward  with 


LESSON  XXIII 


17 


the  fingers,  thus  neutrahzing  the  two  efforts.  Notice 
that  now  again  the  tongue  is  pressing  strongly  down 
upon  the  underlying  thumb,  while  the  front  part  of  the 
tongue  remains  loose. 

In  this  wise  you  will  localize  the  exact  hyo-glossi 
effort,  which  is  always  in  the  rear  part  of  the  tongue; 
never  in  the  front. 

(3)  Still  keeping  the  thumb  under  the  tongue  and 
the  front  of  it  held  between  the  fingers,  but  not  so 
firmly  now,  speak  or  sing  "ah,  a,  ee,  oh,  ooh,"  and 
'*kah,  kay,  kee,  koh,  kooh,"  as  best  you  can.  The  sound 
may  not  be  good ;  that  does  not  matter,  merely  localize 
the  effort.  Notice  that  at  every  sound  you  feel  a  pres- 
sure upon  the  thumb,  while — and  that  is  important — 
the  tip  of  the  tongue  is  loose,  at  least  it  should  not 
become  hard.  Notice  also  that  when  you  make  a  pause 
between  the  sounds,  there  is  no  longer  a  pressure; 
that  the  tongue  then  is  quiet  and  altogether  loose. 

Singers  may  sing  up  to  "F"  on  the  fifth  line  and 
down  as  far  as  their  natural  voice  will  allow.  The 
voice  will  be  strong,  but  perhaps  not  good,  because 
the  tongue  is  being  held  with  the  fingers  and  the 
thumb  underneath  also  disturbs  the  free  tone. 

(4)  Every  now  and  then  alternate  your  tests.  First 
determine  whether  the  tongue  tip  remains  loose  while 
you  speak  or  sing;  then  withdraw  the  fingers  from 
the  tongue  tip  to  determine  whether  the  larynx  moves 
or  not.  If  the  larynx  does  not  move  and  the  tip  of  the 
tongue  remains  loose  while  you  speak  or  sing,  you 
have  localized  the  vocal  effort  absolutely  and  cor- 
rectly. 

On  the  contrary,  if  the  larynx  moves  (a  little 
trembling,  slight  motion  does  not  matter)  quite  a 
great  deal,  or  if  the  tongue  tip  becomes  hard  or  stiff, 


18 


LESSON  XXIII 


then  you  have  not  locaHzed  the  vocal  effort  correctly. 
You  still  speak  or  sing  wrongly  and  you  will  require 
considerable  practice  on  these  exercises. 

You  are  most  likely  making  too  strong  an  effort, 
thereby  holding  some  parts  stiff,  so  that  they  cannot 
operate. 

Review  the  lesFons  on  isolating  the  hyo-glossi  mus- 
cle and  keep  at  it  until  you  get  it. 

If  you  can  but  learn  to  relax  the  tongue,  to  merely 
let  it  drop  upon  the  thumb,  you  have  gained  very 
much.    Without  this  control,  no  real  success  can  be* 
hoped  for,  therefore  do  all  you  can  to  gain  this. 

(5)  Now,  in  your  daily  practice  of  the  groove 
against  the  thumb  or  underlying  tongue  support,  make 
sure  also  that  the  effort  is  made  way  back  in  the 
tongue;  that  the  tip  is  loose  and  that  the  larynx  is 
quiet. 

This  exercise  should  be  as  easy  and  free  as  bending 
your  fingers  inward  and  outward  after  you  once  get 
it  mastered.  See  that  you  realize  two  actions;  one,  a 
contraction,  the  other  a  relaxation.  The  first  is  making 
a  groove,  the  second  is  letting  the  tongue  go  upward 
again.  Two  motions,  one  downward  and  one  upward, 
is  all  there  is  to  it. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON 
LESSON  XXIII 

1.  Is  it  possible  to  have  a  perfect  voice  as  long  as 
the  vocal  organ  is  imperfect? 

2.  What  part  of  the  vocal  organ  decides  the  volume 
and  beauty  of  the  voice? 

3.  Are  you  satisfied  to  continue  the  strengthening 
of  the  hyo-glossi  muscle  until  the  vocal  organ  is  perfect? 


LESSON  XXIII  10 

4.  What  is  meant  by  resonance? 

5.  What  happens  to  the  voice  when  the  larynx  is 
pulled  downward? 

6.  What  happens  to  the  voice  when  the  larynx  is 
drawn  upward? 

7.  Do  you  now  fully  understand  and  realize  that 
the  hyo-glossi  or  tongue  muscles  cannot  be  forced? 

8.  How  should  you  practice  the  groove? 

9.  Do  you  now  realize  the  exact  vocal  attack,  or 
rather,  the  tongue  beat,  which  is  the  same? 

10.  Can  you  now  isolate  the  tongue  with  ease  and 
at  all  times? 


LESSON  XXIV 

THE  LAWS  OF  PHYSICS  AND  SOUND 

(Continued) 

MUSICAL  SOUNDS 

If  human  eyesight  were  sharp  enough  to  see  the  vi- 
brations and  alterations  set  up  in  the  air  through  which 
a  voice  was  passing,  we  might  make  some  wonderful 
additions  to  our  knowledge.  (In  ordinary  conversation, 
the  physical  both  precedes  and  arouses  the  psychical 
(emotion) ;  spoken  language,  which  gives  us  pleasure  or 
pain,  rouses  us  to  anger  or  soothes  us  to  peace,  exists 
for  a  time  between  us  and  the  speaker  as  a  purely 
mechanical  condition.) 

Noise  affects  us  as  an  irregular  succession  of  shocks. 
We  are  conscious  of  a  jolting  and  jarring  of  the  audi- 
tory nerves,  whereas  a  musical  sound  flows  smoothly 
and  regularly.  How  is  this  smoothness  secured?  By 
rendering  the  impulses  received  by  the  tympanic  mem- 
brane perfectly  periodic.  The  motions  of  a  common 
pendulum,  for  example,  are  periodic,  but  they  are  far 
too  sluggish  to  excite  sonorous  waves.  To  produce  a 
musical  tone  we  must  have  a  body  which  vibrates  with 
the  unerring  regularity  of  the  pendulum,  but  which 
can  impart  much  sharper  and  quicker  shocks  to  the  air. 
The  only  condition  necessary  to  the  production  of  a 
musical  sound  is  that  pulses  should  succeed  each  other 
in  the  same  interval  of  time.  If  a  watch,  for  example, 
could  be  caused  to  tick  with  sufficient  rapidity,  the 
ticks  would  blend  to  a  musical  tone;  and  if  the  strokes 
of  a  pigeon's  wings  could  be  greatly  accelerated,  the 
progress  of  the  bird  through  the  air  would  be  accom- 
panied by  music.  The  humming  bird  actually  attains 
the  necessary  rapidity.  If  the  puffs  of  a  locomotive 
could  be  increased  to  fifty  or  sixty  a  second,  the  ap- 

1 


2 


LESSON  XXIV 


proach  of  the  engine  would  be  heralded  by  an  organ 
peal  of  tremendous  power. 

The  production  of  a  musical  sound  can  be  illustrated 
by  causing  the  teeth  of  a  rotating  wheel  to  strike  in 
quick  succession  against  a  card.  Figure  139. 


Fig.  139 


The  above  gyroscope  consists  mainly  of  a  heavy 
brass  ring  (D),  along  with  which  rotates  a  small- 
toothed  wheel  (W).  On  touching  this  wheel  with  the 
edge  of  a  card  (C),  and  rotating  the  brass  ring,  a  musical 
sound  is  produced.  By  increasing  the  rotary  motion 
the  tone  becomes  higher;  by  reducing  the  motion  the 
u  tone  becomes  deeper.  This  proves  the  important  fact 
that  the  pitch  of  a  note  depends  upon  the  rapidity  of 
its  pulses  or  vibrations. 

DEFINITION  OF  FITCH 

If  two  notes  coming  from  two  distinct  sources  are 
of  the  same  pitch,  their  rates  of  vibrations  are  the 


LESSON  XXIV 


3 


same.  If  the  tuning  fork  yields  the  same  note  as  an 
organ  pipe  or  the  tongue  of  a  concertina,  it  is  because 
the  vibrations  of  the  fork  in  one  case  are  executed  in  pre- 
cisely the  same  time  as  the  vibrations  of  the  column  of 
air  in  the  organ  pipe,  or  of  the  tongue  in  the  concertina. 
The  same  holds  good  for  the  human  voice.  If  a  violin 
string  and  a  voice  yield  the  same  note,  it  is  because 
the  vocal  chords  of  the  singer  vibrate  in  the  same  time 
as  the  string  vibrates. 

The  pitch  of  a  musical  note  depends  solely  upon  the 
number  of  vibrations  concerned  in  its  production.  The 
more  rapid  the  vibrations,  the  higher  the  pitch.  To 
enable  a  musical  string  to  vibrate,  it  must  be  stretched 
between  two  rigid  points.  Figure  140  is  an  instrument 
employed  to  stretch  strings  and  to  render  their  vibra- 
tions audible. 


Fig.  140 


From  the  pin  (P),  to  which  one  end  of  the  string  is 
firmly  attached,  it  passes  across  the  bridges  (B  and  B), 
being  afterward  carried  over  the  wheel  (H).  The  string 
is  firmly  stretched  by  a  weight  (W),  of  twenty-eight 
pounds,  attached  to  its  extremity.  The  bridges  (B  and 
B),  which  constitute  the  real  ends  of  the  strings,  are 
fastened  to  the  long  wooden  box  (M  N).  The  whole 
instrument  is  called  a  monochord  or  sonometer. 


4 


LESSON  XXIV 


Plucking  the  stretched  string  at  its  middle,  you  hear 
a  sound,  but  the  sonorous  waves  which  strike  the  ear 
do  not  proceed  directly  from  the  string.  The  amount 
of  wave  motion  generated  by  so  thin  a  body  as  the 
string  is  too  small  to  be  noticeable  at  any  distance. 
But  the  string  is  tightly  drawn  over  the  two  bridges, 
and  when  it  is  made  to  vibrate,  its  tremors  are  com- 
municated through  these  bridges  to  the  entire  box.  And 
the  box,  after  intensifying  the  vibrations,  transmits 
them  to  the  surrounding  air,  thereb}^  setting  it  into 
motion. 

LAWS  OF  VIBRATING  STRINGS 

Having  learned  how  the  vibrations  of  strings  are 
rendered  available  in  music,  we  must  next  investigate 
the  laws  of  such  vibrations.  Plucking  the  string  of 
Figure  140,  the  sound  heard  is  the  lowest  of  funda- 
mental note  of  the  string,  to  produce  which  it  swings 
as  a  whole,  to  and  fro.  By  placing  a  movable  bridge 
under  the  exact  middle  of  the  string  and  pressing  the 
string  against  the  bridge,  the  string  is  divided  into  two 
equal  parts.  Plucking  either  of  those  two  divisions,  a 
note  is  obtained  which  is  exactly  an  octave  above  the 
fundamental  note.  In  all  cases,  and  with  all  instruments 
of  whatever  kind,  the  octave  of  a  note  is  produced  by 
doubling  the  number  of  vibrations.  One-half  of  this  string 
vibrates  with  twice  the  rapidity  of  the  whole  string.  In 
the  same  way  one-third  of  the  string  vibrates  with  three 
times  the  rapidity,  producing  a  note  one-fifth  above  the 
octave ;  while  one-fourth  of  the  string  vibrates  with  four 
times  the  rapidity,  producing  the  double  octave  of  the 
whole  string.  In  general  terms,  the  number  of  vibrations 
is  inversely  proportional  to  the  length  of  the  string;  the 
smaller  the  divisions  of  the  string,  the  higher  the  tone. 
Again,  the  more  tightly  a  string  is  stretched,  the  more 
rapid  are  its  vibrations.   By  plucking  the  string  with 


LESSON  XXIV 


5 


one  hand,  while  the  other  hand  alternately  lifts  and 
presses  upon  the  weight,  the  quick  variations  of  the 
tension  will  produce  a  varying,  wailing  tone.  An  octave 
consists  of  the  eight  tones  of  the  scale;  thus  C  to  C  on 
the  piano  is  an  octave. 

By  applying  different  weights  to  the  end  of  the  string 
and  determining  in  each  note  the  number  of  vibrations 
executed  in  a  second,  we  find  the  numbers  thus  ob- 
tained to  be  proportional  to  the  square  root  of  the 
tension.  A  string,  for  example,  stretched  by  a  weight  of 
two  pounds,  executes  a  certain  number  of  vibrations  a 
second.  If  we  wish  to  double  the  number  of  the  vibra- 
tions, we  must  stretch  the  string  by  a  weight  of  four 
pounds;  if  we  wish  to  treble  the  vibrations  w^e  must 
apply  the  weight  of  sixteen  pounds,  and  so  on. 

The  vibrations  of  a  string  also  depend  upon  its 
thickness.  If,  for  instance,  of  two  strings  of  the  same 
material,  equally  long  and  equally  stretched,  one  has 
twice  the  diameter  of  the  other,  the  thinner  string  will 
execute  double  the  number  of  vibrations  of  the  other 
in  the  same  time.  If  one  string  be  three  times  as  thick 
as  the  other,  it  will  execute  only  one-third  the  number 
of  vibrations,  and  so  on. 

Finally  the  vibrations  of  a  string  depend  upon  the 
density  of  the  matter  of  which  it  is  composed.  If  the 
density  of  one  string  be  one-fourth  of  that  of  another 
of  the  same  length,  thickness  and  tension,  it  will  execute 
its  vibrations  twice  as  rapidly;  if  the  density  be  one- 
ninth  that  of  the  other,  it  will  vibrate  with  three  times 
the  rapidity,  and  so  on.  Therefore,  the  number  of  vibra- 
tions is  inversely  proportional  to  the  square  root  of  the 
density  of  the  string. 

In  the  violin  and  other  stringed  instruments  we 
avail  ourselves  of  thickness  instead  of  length  to  obtain 


6 


LESSON  XXIV 


deep  tones.  The  human  voice  is  a  mechanical  instru- 
ment only  in  so  far  as  the  different  parts  constituting 
it  must  be  in  exact  uniformity  to  produce  equal  results 
with  mechanical  instruments.  Also,  it  is  subject  to 
the  same  laws  in  regard  to  velocity  (number  of  vibra- 
tions), elasticity,  density  and  intensity.  That  is,  the 
same  number  of  vibrations  per  second  produce  the  same 
pitch  either  in  a  mechanical  instrument  or  in  the  human 
voice.  The  elasticity  of  the  vocal  organ  is  another 
necessary  adjunct,  for  if  this  organ  were  in  a  tight,  stiff 
state,  it  could  not  vibrate  freely. 

In  the  same  way  there  must  be  a  certain  density  of 
the  vocal  chords,  otherwise  the  tone  would  be  devoid  of 
intensity;  it  would  be  too  faint  and  thin  to  produce 
tones  of  character  and  substance.  But  the  vocal  instru- 
ment is  in  all  other  respects  unlike  the  mechanical  in- 
strument, because  the  vocal  instrument  is  subjected  to 
our  will  and  directed  by  our  intelligence,  enabling  it 
to  be  trained  to  the  highest  perfection.  For  instance, 
many  musical  instruments  require  provision  for  each 
separate  tone  and  the  means  of  changing  the  character, 
intensity,  tone  color,  etc.,  are  small,  but  in  the  vocal 
organ  such  changes  are  so  manifold  that  the  same  note 
can  be  produced  with  constant  variations,  creating  ever 
new  results.  In  the  piano,  for  instance,  you  have  a 
separate  key  for  each  tone,  and  after  the  key  is  struck 
you  cannot  change  or  modify  the  tone. 

OVERTONES— TONE  QUALITY 

It  has  been  shown  that  a  stretched  string  can  either 
vibrate  as  a  whole  or  divided  into  a  number  of  equal 
parts,  each  of  which  vibrates  as  an  independent  string. 
Now,  it  is  not  possible  to  vibrate  one  section  of  the 
string  without  at  the  same  time  affecting,  to  a  greater 
or  less  extent,  its  subdivision;  that  is  to  say,  added  to 


LESSON  XXIV 


7 


the  vibrations  of  the  one  section  we  have  always,  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree,  the  vibrations  of  its  aliquot  parts. 

In  the  experiment  with  the  monochord,  when  the 
wire  was  to  be  shortened,  a  movable  bridge  was  em- 
ployed, against  which  the  wire  was  pressed  so  as  to 
deprive  the  point  resting  on  the  bridge  of  all  possibility 
of  motion.  This  strong  pressure,  however,  is  not  neces- 
sary. If  we  press  the  feather  end  of  a  goose  quill 
lightly  against  the  middle  of  a  string,  and  draw  a  violin 
bow  over  one  of  its  halves,  the  string  yields  the  octave 
above  the  note  yielded  by  the  whole  string.  Figure  141. 
The  mere  damping  of  the  string  at  the  center  by  the 
light  touch  of  the  feather  is  sufficient  to  cause  the  string 
to  be  divided  into  two  vibrating  segments.  Nor  is  it 
necessary  to  hold  the  feather  there  throughout  the  ex- 
periment; after  having  drawn  the  bow,  the  feather  may 
be  removed ;  the  string  will  continue  to  vibrate,  emitting 
the  same  note  as  before. 

To  prove  that  when  the  center  is  damped  and  the 
bow  drawn  across  one  of  the  halves  of  the  string,  the 
other  half  also  vibrates,  place  across  the  middle  of  the 
untouched  half  a  rider  of  paper.  Damping  the  center 
and  drawing  the  bow,  the  string  shivers  and  the  rider 
is  overthrown.  See  Figure  141. 


When  the  string  is  damped  at  a  point  which  cuts  off 
one-third  of  its  length,  and  the  bow  drawn  across  the 
shorter  section,  not  only  is  the  shorter  section  thereby 


8 


LESSON  XXIV 


thrown  into  vibration,  but  the  longer  section  divides 
itself  into  two  ventral  segments  with  a  node  between 
them. 

Damping  the  string  at  the  end  of  one-fourth  of  its 
length,  if  the  bow  is  drawn  across  the  shorter  section, 
the  remaining  three-fourths  divide  themselves  into  three 
ventral  segments  with  two  nodes  betw^een  them.  Damp- 
ing the  string  at  the  end  of  one-fifth  of  its  length,  the 
remaining  four-fifths  divide  into  four  ventral  segments, 
with  three  nodes,  and  so  on. 

The  higher  notes  produced  by  these  subdivisions  are 
called  the  harmonics  of  the  string.  And  so  it  is  with 
other  sounding  bodies.  We  have  in  all  cases  a  coexist- 
ence of  vibrations,  that  is,  the  higher  tones  mingle  with 
the  fundamental  lower  one,  and  it  is  their  intermixture 
which  determines  what  we  term  the  quality  of  the 
sound.  It  is  this  union  of  high  and  low  tones  which 
enables  us  to  distinguish  one  musical  instrument  from 
another. 

A  clarionet  and  violin,  for  example,  though  tuned  to 
the  same  fundamental  note,  are  not  confounded;  the 
auxiliary  tones  of  the  one  are  different  from  those  of 
the  other,  and  these  latter  tones,  uniting  themselves  to 
the  fundamental  tones  of  each  of  the  two  instruments, 
differentiate  the  identity  of  the  sounds.  All  bodies  and 
instruments  employed  for  producing  musical  sounds 
emit,  besides  their  fundamental  tones,  others  due  to 
higher  rates  of  vibration.  Such  sounds  are  known  under 
the  general  term  of  '  'overtones"  or  aliquot  tones.  These 
combinations  constitute  resonance. 

Color  depends  upon  rapidity  of  vibration,  blue  light 
bearing  to  red  the  same  relation  that  a  high  tone  does 
to  a  low  tone.  A  simple  tone,  then,  may  be  defined  as 
the  product  of  a  vibration  which  cannot  be  decomposed 
into  more  simple  ones.  An  assemblage  of  tones,  such  as 


LESSON  XXIV 


9 


we  obtain  when  the  fundamental  tones  and  the  over- 
tones sound  together,  determines  tone  quality. 

To  the  voice  student  the  question  of  tone  quality  is 
the  all-important  one;  upon  it  depends  the  success  or 
failure  as  a  singer,  for  no  matter  how  much  technic  he 
may  acquire,  or  however  pleasing  his  personality  may 
be,  if  his  voice  is  deficient  in  quality  his  success  will  be 
meager.   Even  in  a  purely  technical  sense,  he  will  fail 


Fig.  142 

Frieda  Hempel  and  Enrico  Caruso  in  Les  Pecheurs  de  Perles. 


10 


LESSON  XXIV 


to  meet  the  demands  of  higher  artistic  interpretation 
because  his  voice  will  fail  him  at  the  moment  of  climax. 
He  has  given  all  he  has  long  before  the  apotheosis  of 
ecstasy  in  the  song  is  reached.  The  spirit  may  be  will- 
ing, but  the  flesh — the  vocal  organ — is  weak,  too  weak 
for  the  demands  made  upon  it. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  vocal  organ  is  fully  devel- 
oped, then  the  quahty  of  the  singer's  tone  will  arouse 
enthusiasm,  even  with  the  simplest  song.  As  I  write 
this  I  have  in  mind  one  of  my  students  whose  voice  is 
a  marv'el  of  beauty;  his  compass  now  reaches  from  A 
below  the  staff  to  F  above  high  C,  each  tone  as  full  and 
distinct  as  if  chiseled.  He  was  offered  a  very  large  sum 
of  money  and  a  pension  to  his  family,  merely  to  lead 
the  chorus,  himself  to  stand  unseen  behind  the  scenes, 
for  unfortunately,  he  is  a  hunchback.  Such  is  the 
wonderful  value  of  a  real  voice. 

EXERCISES  TO  LESSON  XXIV 

Public  speakers  and  singers  require  a  big,  far-carry- 
ing tone,  and  also  the  ability  to  continue  speaking  or 
singing  for  hours  without  the  voice  becoming  tired. 
Power  and  endurance  of  tone  co-exist.  If  the  tone  is 
strong  without  force  being  used,  the  endurance  is  there 
also.  The  tone  must,  of  course,  be  natural  and  flow 
easily,  and  this  can  only  be  the  case  when  the  vocal 
chord-stretching,  tone-producing  tongue  muscles  pos- 
sess great  power  and  elasticity. 

You  must  always  keep  in  mind  the  fact  that  you 
control  the  tongue  and  that  it  controls  all  sound.  Of 
course,  you  can  force  the  vocal  chords  and  larynx  to 
some  extent,  through  the  throat  or  palate  muscles,  and 
you  can  even  stretch  the  vocal  chords  with  the  chin 
and  masticatory  muscles.  But  a  natural,  full,  beautiful 
voice  could  never  be  secured  by  either  of  these  methods. 


LESSON  XXIV 


11 


They  are  unnatural,  and  an  unnatural  way  of  speaking 
or  singing  leaves  the  vocal  organs  either  too  much  re- 
laxed or  too  hard.  Where  either  of  these  conditions 
exist,  continuous  singing  or  speaking  becomes  impos- 
sible. When,  however,  the  hyoid  muscle  is  made  strong 
and  is  taught  to  contract  correctly,  the  slightest  volun- 
tary motion  of  the  tongue  will  be  sufficient  to  stretch 
the  vocal  chords  and  cause  all  the  other  muscles  con- 
nected with  the  larynx  to  work  easily  and  smoothly  and 
at  the  right  time.  When  this  latter  condition  exists, 
speaking  and  singing  may  be  prolonged  for  hours  with- 
out tiring  the  voice. 

Of  all  the  muscles  connected  with  the  vocal  organ, 
the  tongue  muscle  alone  is  free;  that  is,  it  is  not  at- 
tached to  a  firm  bone  as  the  other  muscles  are,  and  it 
is  because  of  this  fact  that  we  are  able  to  control  it  and 
train  it  to  a  high  degree.  To  what  a  wonderful  degree 
the  human  muscles  can  be  trained  by  continuous  exer- 
cise is  demonstrated  in  the  case  of  athletes,  professional 
dancers,  etc.  In  the  musical  realm  we  observe  this 
development  principally  in  the  enormous  technic  of  the 
piano  virtuoso.  This  piano  technic  is  based  mainly 
upon  the  great  strength  of  the  finger  and  arm  muscles. 
It  is  said  that  Paderewski  once  struck  a  hole  through  a 
thick  glass  window  in  a  New  York  hotel  with  the  force 
exerted  by  one  finger  and  that  the  hole  was  as  round  as 
if  it  had  been  cut  by  a  bullet.  This  strength  was  not 
gained  in  a  month  or  a  year,  but  by  persistent  exercise. 
I  mention  these  facts  that  you  may  not  get  the  false 
impression  that  you  can  by  a  few  weeks'  practice  ac- 
complish wonders.  To  be  sure,  it  frequently  happens 
that  in  a  short  time  remarkable  results  are  obtained, 
but  that  is  only  where  the  muscle  possesses  much  na- 
tural strength  to  begin  with.  In  such  cases  the  exercises 
produce  rapid  and  often  astonishing  progress. 


12 


LESSON  XXIV 


The  great  majority  of  people,  however,  are  not  so 
fortunately  constituted,  and  to  them  success  comes  as 
the  reward  of  patience  and  perseverance.  Where  the 
hyoid  muscle  is  undersized  and  weak  it  must  be  made 
to  grow  and  acquire  strength,  and  in  the  matter  of  mus- 
cular growth,  Nature  often  works  slowly,  but  always 
surely.  Hence  no  one  can  fail  to  acquire  a  good  voice 
if  he  perseveres  with  these  exercises.  They  will  do 
what  all  other  methods  have  failed  to  do — that  is,  pro- 
duce permanent,  dependable  strength  and  beauty  of 
tone. 

THE  BREATH  CANNOT  STRETCH  THE 
VOCAL  CHORDS 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  in  these  instructions  much 
has  been  written  about  the  breath,  and  that  very  im- 
portant breathing  exercises  have  been  given,  it  must  be 
understood  that  breathing  exercises,  however  excellent 
they  may  be,  can  never  produce  a  big,  flowing  tone.  A 
good  singer  should  have  a  compass  of  two  octaves 
(25  tones)  that  he  completely  controls,  so  that  he  can 
bring  out  every  nuance  with  ease.  If  it  were  only  the 
breath  that  produced  these  twenty-five  tones  from  the 
vocal  chords,  then  for  each  individual  tone  we  would 
require  a  separate  breath  pressure,  a  thing  that  would 
be  quite  impossible. 

As  we  know,  the  pitch  of  the  tone  depends  upon  the 
number  of  vibrations  of  the  vocal  chords.  If  they  vi- 
brate 256  times  a  second  they  produce  the  sound  of 
the  "C"  which  is  placed  under  the  firtt  Hne  in  the  musi- 
cal note  system.  Every  succeeding  tone  possesses  an 
increased  number  of  vibrations.  The  next  "C"  possesses 
512  and  high  ''C"  numbers  1,024  vibrations.  Every 
deviation  from  the  fixed  number  of  vibrations  either 
sharpens  or  lowers  the  tone  and  makes  it  out  of  tune. 


LESSON  XXIV 


13 


Working  upon  the  theory  that  the  breath  controls  the 
tone,  we  find  that  if  the  singer  wished  to  increase  or  » 
decrease  the  volume  of  the  same  pitch,  the  breath  pres- 
sure would  have  to  be  changed.  But,  as  every  change 
of  the  breath  is  supposed  to  alter  the  vibrations  as  well  as 
stretch  the  chords,  the  desired  tone  could  not  be  re- 
tained because  it  would  have  to  sink  or  rise  with  the 
change  of  the  breath.  It  is,  therefore,  clear  that  the 
breath  has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the  pitch  of  the 
tone;  it  can  only  set  the  vocal  chords  in  motion  and 
keep  them  vibrating,  and  no  more. 

BREATH  ATTACK  AND  POWER 

Even  though  the  breath  cannot  stretch  the  vocal 
chords,  it  is  still  of  great  importance,  particularly  in  the 
training  of  the  voice.  The  principal  things  to  be  avoided 
in  breathing  are  physical  effort  and  every  kind  of  strain, 
for  if  the  chest  or  diaphragm  is  purposely  stiffened,  the 
larynx  and  its  controlling  muscles  also  become  stiff 
and  hard. 

It  is  generally  believed  that  the  contraction  of  the 
big,  strong  muscles  of  the  chest,  stomach  and  dia- 
phragm should  be  strongly  felt,  and  therefore  many 
teachers  recommend  a  forced  contraction  of  these  mus- 
cles. A  little  consideration  will,  however,  show  that  we 
feel  these  powerful  muscles  least  because  they  are  natu- 
rally strong,  so  strong  that  they  do  their  work  auto- 
matically without  strain.  It  is  only  when  a  muscle  is 
being  strained  that  we  feel  it  or  are  aware  of  its  exist- 
ence. The  leg  or  hip  muscles  do  not  have  to  be  strained 
and  forced  in  order  to  have  them  discharge  their  duties 
of  carrying  the  body  in  walking.  No,  they  do  their 
work  without  apparent  effort.  If  an  effort  is  necessary 
then  there  is  something  wrong.  This  is  equally  true  in 
the  case  of  the  breathing  muscles. 


I 


14  LESSON  XXIV 

THE  BREATHING  MUSCLES  DO  NOT 
REQUIRE  STRENGTHENING 

Consider  the  extraordinary  power  exhibited  by  these 
muscles  in  cases  of  cramps,  whooping  cough,  etc.  Even 
the  highest  and  most  powerful  tones  of  a  heroic  tenor 
would  employ  only  a  small  part  of  this  great  muscular 
strength.  Therefore,  the  singer  or  speaker  does  not 
need  to  strengthen  his  breathing  muscles,  but  must 
learn  to  release  them.  Instead  of  straining  against  an 
imaginary  resistance,  he  should  so  control  his  breathing 
muscles  that  they  will  instantly,  and  without  the  slight- 
est exertion,  automatically  contract.  To  do  their  work 
correctly  they  should  retain  their  elasticity,  but  create 
no  noticeable  feeling  of  contraction. 

THE  MUSCLE  PRINCIPLE 

The  principle  to  be  observed  with  regard  to  all  mus- 
cular motion,  including  the  breathing  and  tongue  mus- 
cles, and,  by  the  singer,  the  palate  and  throat  muscles, 
also  is  as  follows: 

Teach  your  brain  to  understand  that  there  is  no 
obstacle  to  the  free  contraction  of  the  muscles  in  ques- 
tion ;  that  in  the  act  of  breathing,  the  stomach  muscles 
have  nothing  to  resist;  that  there  is  no  stiff  mass  of 
breath  in  the  chest  and  stomach  against  which  you 
should  instinctively  strive.  On  the  contrary,  you  should 
think  of  the  stomach  and  chest  as  a  hollow  space  and 
of  the  muscles  as  contracting  over  this  space  easily  and 
with  a  feeling  of  unrestricted  freedom.  Also  imagine 
that  this  contraction  draws  the  stomach  and  chest 
somewhat  nearer  together.  Of  course,  no  actual  motion 
takes  place,  as  the  muscles  simply  change  from  an  in- 
active or  loose  to  an  active  or  contracted  condition. 

First  Exercise:  Cough  a  few  times,  then  cease  sud- 
denly, and  you  will  observe  a  large  but  loose  forward 


LESSON  XXIV 


15 


movement  of  the  stomach.  Cough  again  and  observe 
that,  without  wishing  or  intending  this  result,  the  dia- 
phragm contracts  sHghtly.  Now  draw  the  lower  part 
of  the  stomach  in  loosely,  but  deeply,  and  you  will  find 
that  the  entire  stomach  goes  with  it.  Next,  simply 
think  of  doing  this  and  observe  this  time  that  the 
lower  chest  also  draws  in  slightly,  although  you  did  not 
intend  to  make  it  do  so.  You  will  see  from  this  that  the 
chest  motion  results  from  the  stomach  motion. 

In  doing  this  exercise,  sit  comfortably,  leaning 
lightly  against  the  back  of  the  chair.  Now  pause  a  few 
seconds  between  each  exercise  and  picture  the  stomach 
as  a  hollow  space,  against  which  the  muscles  suddenly, 
but  quite  softly,  contract.  Then  shape  the  mouth  and 
tongue  for  a  soft  "s"  and  repeat  the  stomach  exercise 
and  observe  that  the  ''s"  is  involuntarily  heard  in  a 
low,  soft  hiss.  This  is  a  proof  that  your  stomach 
muscles  are  working  correctly.  The  deeper  and  more 
loosely  you  can  move  the  stomach,  the  softer  will  the 
"s"  sound  be.  Observe,  also,  in  this  exercise  that  the 
chest  feels  hollow  and  relaxed.  You  must  learn  to 
make  these  motions  a  little  faster  each  day.  Devote 
about  two  minutes  to  the  exercise  and,  if  convenient, 
repeat  several  times  a  day. 

THE  DIAPHRAGM 

Second  Exercise:  Hold  your  hand  against  your 
stomach  and  make  the  "s"  sound  suddenly  but  softly, 
without  the  least  stomach  motion.  In  fact,  do  not 
even  think  of  the  stomach.  If  you  hold  the  upper  part 
of  the  body  quite  relaxed  and  prolong  the  sound,  you 
will  experience  a  sinking  sensation  in  the  under  por- 
tion of  the  chest,  right  over  the  stomach  (diaphragm) 
as  though  it  were  caving  in.  Again  hold  the  upper  part 
of  the  body  quite  relaxed  and  make  a  prolonged  low, 


16 


LESSON  XXIV 


soft,  breathy  "s"  and  observe  that  the  body  collapses! 
much  as  it  would  if  you  sank  into  a  chair  in  extreme: 
weariness.  In  this  exercise  the  stomach  muscles  were 
excluded  as  much  as  possible  and  the  chest  and  dia-: 
phragm  were  isolated. 

STOMACH  MUSCLES  AND  DIAPHRAGM 

Third  Exercise :  Move  the  stomach  twice  suddenly, 
but  loosely,  backward,  as  in  the  first  exercise.  If  this 
exercise  is  done  correctly,  only  a  soft  ''s"  will  result. 
Now,  as  in  the  second  exercise,  aspirate  the  "s"  with- 
out the  stomach  motion  and  with  the  upper  body  quite 
relaxed.  Next,  unite  the  stomach  and  diaphragm  ex- 
ercise by  suddenly  and  loosely  drawing  in  the  stomach 
and  at  the  same  instant  expect  the  feeling  of  sinking 
or  falling  in  the  lower  chest.  Hold  the  position  of  the, 
mouth  as  before  and  notice  that  you  now  have  a  sharp, 
hissing  *'h'ss."  This  is  a  proof  that  the  breathing 
muscles  have  contracted  powerfully  and  without  the 
least  strain.  Later,  when  the  exercise  can  be  per- 
formed with  ease,  instead  of  the  "h'ss"  call  out  "he,  ha, 
ho."  Later  still,  read  or  speak  aloud  short  sentences 
and  observe  that  the  stomach  and  chest  seem  loose, 
that  the  breath  flows  easily  and  suffices  for  long  sen- 
tences. These  exercises  must  be  practiced  until  the 
muscular  action  becomes  automatic.  This  method  of 
breathing  should  be  used  for  both  singing  and  speaking. 
Be  sure  that  you  have  the  tongue  beat  for  the  tone 
attack  and  a  slight  beat  near  the  stomach  for  the  breath 
attack. 

After  a  little  while  the  breath  attack  need  no  longer 
be  practiced,  because  it  becomes  automatic.  The 
tongue  attack,  however,  must  be  watched  continu- 
ously, as  all  vocal  success  finally  depends  upon  it. 


LESSON  XXIV 


17 


EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON 
LESSON  XXIV 

1.  What  is  noise? 

2.  What  is  a  musical  sound? 

3.  What  is  pitch ?^ 

4.  What  is  the  mechanical  cause  of  a  thin  tone? 

5.  What  is  the  mechanical  cause  of  a  strong  tone? 

6.  What  is  the  mechanical  cause  of  tone  quality? 

7.  What  is  the  mechanical  cause  of  overtones? 

8.  What  is  the  principal  thing  to  be  observed  in 
the  breathing  muscles? 

9.  Can  the  breath  stretch  the  vocal  chords? 

10.  If  the  breath  could  stretch  the  vocal  chords, 
how  many  different  kinds  of  breath  would  the  singer 
need? 


LESSON  XXV 


LAWS  OF  PHYSICS  AND  SOlJND~{Concluded) 

The  use  of  the  "tone  "A"  to  tune  musical  instru- 
ments can  be  traced  back  to  the  ancient  Egyptians 
and  Greeks,  whose  priests,  with  a  definite  effect  in  view 
in  their  long  recitatives,  declamations  and  chants,  se- 
lected the  tone  ''A"  as  the  most  appropriate  tone  of  the 
male  voice  in  the  worship  of  Apollo,  the  God  of  Music. 
This  ''A"  is  in  the  second  space  of  the  musical  staff — 
440  vibrations  per  second.  It  is  the  ea;siest  tone  for 
the  human  voice  to  sing. 


The  Lyra  was  an  instrument  of  four  strings  with 
a  compass  of  two  tones  and  a  semi-tone,  usually,  E,  F, 
G,  A;  the  A  was  the  leading  or  Pitch  tone  of  the  Lyra 
which  was  tuned  to  the  A  of  the  voice  and  was  used 
very  sparingly  as  an  accompaniment  to  the  singers. 


Fig.  143 


1 


2 


LESSON  XXV 


Both  sacred  and  secular  Lyras  were  restricted  by  law 
to  the  sacred  number  of  four  strings  only.  Such  tunes 
as  the  first  strain  of  ''America,"  "Home,  Sweet  Home," 
"Yankee  Doodle,"  etc.,  in  a  simplified  manner  can  be 
played  on  secular  Lyras  of  four  strings.  But  Lyras 
were  used  mostly  to  accompany  the  voice.  A  pluck  of 
one  or  two  strings — chords  of  two  tones  only — ^were 
used  as  an  accompaniment  to  the  singers. 

The  octave  which  we  use,  and  which  includes  C, 
was  not  in  general  use  until  long  after  the  Christian 
era.  For  centuries  the  Lyra  was  the  only  musical  in- 
strument tolerated  in  worship  of  the  Gods  of  Greece 
and  was  even  then  looked  upon  with  suspicion  and 
derision  as  being  the  profane  work  of  man,  the  tuning 
of  which  was  a  mechanical  affair  liable  to  divert  the 
minds  of  the  worshipers  away  from  the  mysticism  of 
the  temples  and  not  to  be  tolerated. 


The  earliest  Egjptian  m.rp. 


Qretk  Instfnmenfs.  (a)  Plectrmn,  (b)  Kithar%  ic)  Paaltery  or 
long  lyre,  (d)  Chelys,  a  siuali  lyre. 


Fig.  144 


LESSON  XXV 


3 


All  sounds  that  come  to  us  through  the  air,  whether 
the  rattling  of  a  railroad  train,  the  humming  of  an  electric 
wire,  the  song  of  a  bird,  the  laugh  of  a  child,  or  the  tones 
of  a  musical  instrument,  owe  their  great  diversity  in 
pitch  to  an  immutable  law  which  fixes  the  pitch  of  all 
sounds  by  the  number  of  waves  or  vibrations  they  pro- 
duce in  the  air. 

In  conformity  with  this  fundamental  law,  based  on 
Nature  itself,  it  has  been  ascertained  that  any  object 
vibrating  440  times  a  second  at  a  temperature  of  68 
degrees  Fahrenheit,  must  give  forth  a  certain  tone, 
and  that  tone  is  always  the  same.  We  call  it  in  Inter- 
national Pitch  the  note  "A"  of  the  musical  staff. 

If  it  were  possible  for  a  person  to  strike  his  knee 
440  times  a  second  with  his  hand  it  would  have  to  pro- 
duce the  International  Pitch  ''A." 

Some  musical  instruments  are  deficient  in  partials 
or  overtones.  For  example,  the  clarionet  has  only  two 
partials  and  so  has  the  flute.  But  when  the  two  instru- 
ments play  together,  they  complete  each  other.  What 
one  lacks  in  partials  the  other  makes  up.  Each  alone 
produces  but  an  incomplete  tone;  together  they  pro- 
duce a  most  beautiful  blend  of  fundamental  and  partials 
or  overtones. 

Just  as  pure  white  light  is  a  compound  of  all  the 
tints  or  colors  of  the  rainbow,  so  is  a  pure  musical  tone 
a  compound  of  tones  of  different  rates  of  vibrations, 
which  means  tones  of  different  pitch. 

The  flute,  for  instance,  has  only  two  overtones;  it  is 
mainly  this  fact  that  renders  the  flute  uninteresting  as 
a  solo  instrument.  A  long  solo  on  the  flute  becomes 
stale  and  monotonous,  while  a  violin,  with  its  many 
overtones,  is  attractive  to  the  ear.  Its  tones  are  more 
appealing  by  reason  of  their  variety  of  tone-color.  A 


4 


LESSON  XXV 


really  first-class  violin,  if  played  by  a  great  artist, 
affects  us  almost  as  much  as  the  human  voice. 

The  more  overtones  there  are  within  a  tone,  the 
finer  is  the  tone.  Therefore,  to  reach  the  type  of  great- 
est vocal  beauty,  we  must  cultivate  all  that  will  de- 
velop the  overtones  in  the  voice. 


I  Now  in  order  that  the  overtones  may  be  free  and 
strong,  the  initial,  fundamental  tone  must  be 
strong.  This  is  the  key  to  a  beautiful  voice;  never 
forget  that! 

Upon  the  power  or  strength  of  the  fundamental 
tone  depends  the  quality  of  the  voice. 


With  this  lesson  you  are  receiving  our  ''Harmonic 
Resonator,"  especially  made  for  the  Perfect  Voice  Insti- 
tute, with  a  guaranteed  vibration  of  440  per  second  to 
the  tone  of  "A"  in  the  second  space  of  the  musical 
staff.  This  instrument  is  manufactured  especially  to 
illustrate  and  prove  to  you  a  very  important  point  in 
vocal  physics. 

It  will  prove  to  you  first,  that  a  given  quantity  and 
quality  of  vibrating  material  will  produce  a  corre- 
sponding quantity  and  quality  of  sound. 

Secondly,  that  if  by  any  means  you  add  to  the  sur- 
face or  diameter  of  this  vibrating  material  you  thereby 
increase  the  volume  of  sound  and  the  quality  of  the 
tone. 

Thirdly,  it  proves  that  the  finer  quality  of  the 
sound  or  tone  is  due  directly  to  the  larger  volume  or 
greater  strength  of  tone,  caused  by  the  enlarged  vi- 
brating material  added  to  the  original  quantity. 

The  ''Harmonic  Resonator"  consists  of  a  wooden 
box  divided  into  resonance  chambers,  a  metal  tube 


AN  EXPERIMENT 


LESSON  XXV 


5 


and  a  metal  tuning  plate  tuned  to  ''A,"  440  vibrations 
per  second.    A  mallet  goes  with  the  resonator. 

Strike  the  tuning  plate  several  times  in  quick  suc- 
cession with  the  mallet  and  notice  the  large,  beautiful 
sound. 

Then  place  a  card  upon  the  box,  thus  covering  the 
opening  under  the  tuning  plate,  again  strike  the  tun- 
ing plate  and  now  notice,  that  the  tone  is  greatly 
altered  —  it  is  thin  and  without  volume  and  real  beauty. 

Leave  the  card  upon  the  box,  again  strike  the  tun- 
ing plate  several  times  in  quick  succession  and  then 
withdraw  the  card.  Notice  now  that  the  tone  is  again 
large  and  beautiful  when  you  withdraw  the  card.  In- 
sert the  card*,  and  withdraw  it;  notice  the  change  of 
tone  without  the  card;  and  w4th  it. 


Fig.  145 


Harmonic  Resonator. 

When  the  card  covers  the  opening  of  the  box,  it 
dampens  the  entire  resonance  part,  that  is,  all  of  the 
parts  except  the  tuning  plate  are,  through  the  card,  pre- 
vented from  vibrating  together  with  the  tuning  plate. 

The  box  and  the  tube  projecting  out  of  it  very 
greatly  enlarge  the  vibrating  material;  all  these  parts 
vibrate  together  with  the  tuning  plate,  and  thus  greatly 
enlarge  the  volume  of  tone.  Because  the  volume  of 
tone  is  so  much  greater  now,  the  overtones  or  aliquot 
tones  have  become  much  stronger,  and  therefore  the 
sound  is  much  more  beautiful  than  before. 


6 


LESSON  XXV 


This  law  can  be  compared  to  a  spiral  spring:  the 
first  ring  would  illustrate  the  tuning  plate  alone,  the 
second  and  all  subsequent  rings  would  illustrate  the 
addition  of  the  second,  third,  etc.,  chamber  and  tube. 

The  reverse  is  also  true;  if  you  listen  very  closely 
to  the  sound  from  the  resonator,  you  will  find  that  it 
gradually  becomes  less  in  volume  and  thinner  till  it  is 
lost  in  a  faint  echo;  because  the  different  chambers 
gradually  cease  to  vibrate,  the  volume  becomes  smaller. 

The  great  lesson  to  the  vocalist  is  this: 

The  vocal  chords  are  like  the  tuning  plate.  They 
originate  the  sound,  but  to  make  the  sound  strong  and 
beautiful  many  other  things  must  take  place.  All  the 
muscles  which  stretch  the  vocal  chords,  indeed  every 
part  of  the  larynx,  must  be  in  such  a  firm,  taut  condi- 
tion, that,  like  wood,  metal  or  bone,  they  will  vibrate 
at  the  same  rate  as  the  vocal  chords.  Now  since  the 
parts  surrounding  the  vocal  chords  and  the  muscles 
which  stretch  them,  namely,  the  tongue,  the  palate, 
etc.,  constitute  a  very  large  mass  of  vibrating  material, 
the  sound  will  naturally  be  many,  many  times  larger 
than  the  vocal  chords  by  themselves  could  produce. 
But  if  these  parts  were  left  relaxed,  they  would  be  too 
loose  to  vibrate. 

It  is  not  the  air  within  your  chest  or  within  your 
mouth,  nor  the  hollow  spaces  of  the  larynx,  nose  and 
head,  that  originate  vibrations,  but  your  own  sinews, 
the  taut  muscles  and  bones  surrounding  and  constitut- 
ing the  vocal  organ. 

If  you  could  expose  the  muscles  of  your  arm  and 
stretch  them  sufficiently  taut,  you  could  play  upon 
them  as  a  violinist  does  upon  the  taut  strings  of  the 
violin,  which  were  originally  nothing  but  sinews  and 
parts  of  some  animal. 


LESSON  XXV 


7 


When  a  boy  goes  whistling  down  the  street,  he 
does  so  not  with  the  breath,  but  with  the  tautly  held 
lips.  The  breath  is  merely  the  part  that  sets  the  lips 
to  vibrating,  just  as  you  made  the  tuning  plate  to 
sound  by  striking  it.  The  breath  is  the  impelhng force, 
but  not  the  sound-producing  mechanism.  Just  so 
steam  is  the  impelling  force,  but  not  the  motion-pro- 
ducing mechanism  that  pulls  the  train. 

The  theory  that  the  cavities  in  the  throat,  nose  or 
head  are  resonance  chambers  is  utterly  wrong  and 
absurd.  Not  the  cavities,  but  the  bones  and  muscles 
which  form  the  cavities,  vibrate  and  thus  enlarge  the 
v^oice. 

The  idea  that  the  cavities  of  the  head  are  resonance 
chambers  is  entirely  a  modern  invention  or,  rather, 
superstition.  The  old  masters  attributed  a  bad  voice  to 
some  of  the  following  causes:  Impure  blood  surround- 
ing the  vocal  organ,  imperfections  in  the  vocal  organ, 
improper  functions  of  the  body,  forcing  of  the  voice, 
stiff  jaws,  hard  vocal  chords,  singing  through  the  nose 
and  singing  through  the  teeth. 

Perhaps  the  foremost  of  all  the  old  Italian  masters, 
Giov.  Camillo  Maffei  da  Solofra,  in  his  letters  on  voice, 
written  in  1562,  expressly  warned  against  directing  the 
voice  or  the  breath  along  the  soft  palate.  He  says  these 
are  two  very  great  faults.  He  found  by  experience  that 
any  artificial  means  of  directing  the  voice  results  fin- 
ally in  the  loss  of  voice,  yet  these  very  faults  have 
been  adopted  by  many  modern  teachers  because  of  the 
misleading  idea  that  resonance  is  something  that  can 
be  added  to  the  voice. 

It  is  true  that  the  singer  feels  strong  sensations  in 
the  face,  near  the  nose  and  in  the  head.  These  sensa- 
tions are  caused  by  the  different  muscles  which  are 
attached  to  the  bones  and,  as  is  always  the  case  in  good 


8 


LESSON  XXV 


singers  or  speakers,  they  have  become  firm  in  their 
effort  to  stretch  the  vocal  chords,  therefore  these 
muscles  also  vibrate  and  of  course  this  vibration  is  felt 
at  their  place  of  attachment. 

Not  knowing  the  true  causes,  many  teachers  jumped 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  cavities  acted  as  a  sounding 
board  to  the  voice. 

By  thinking  over  the  experiments  already  made, 
you  can  easily  see  the  mistake  of  such  an  assumption. 
To  increase  the  sound  of  the  tuning  plate,  the  plate 
has  to  be  brought  into  direct  connection  with  the  sound- 
ing board  and  metal  tube.  If  you  take  the  plate  away 
from  the  tube,  the  sound  cannot  be  increased  in  the 
least.  Now  the  bones  of  the  head  are  too  far  from  the 
vocal  chords^to  act  as  a  sounding  board.  But  the 
muscles  w^hich  control  the  larynx  are  really  a  part  of 
the  vocal  organ;  they  surround  the  vocal  chords  in 
every  direction  and,  as  they  are  tied  to  the  bones,  both 
the  muscles  and  the  bones  vibrate  together  with  the 
vocal  chords  and  thereby  magnify  the  tone  many  times. 

Sound  travels  at  the  rate  of  about  1,100  feet  per 
second,  or  about  of  ^  mile  while  you  count  ''one." 
The  sound  has  left  your  mouth  before  you  hear  it. 
How,  then,  could  anyone  direct  the  sound  after  it  is 
made?  It  certainly  cannot  be  directed  before  it  is 
made,  no  more  than  you  can  attract  lightning  when 
there  is  no  storm. 

Of  course  the  vocal  organ  can  be  influenced.  Its 
position  can  be  changed  before  the  sound,  but  as  we 
have  seen  from  the  lessons  on  vocal  physiology,  any 
change,  any  variation  of  the  natural  position  of  the 
vocal  organ,  is  a  change  for  the  worse.  Now,  if  anyone 
tries  to  direct  sound  or  breath  in  any  special  direction, 
for  instance,  against  the  upper  palate,  he  merely  dis- 


LESSON  XXV 


9 


locates  the  palate  and  with  it  the  entire  vocal  organ,  to 
the  ultimate  ruin  of  the  voice. 

This  is  the  natural  law  that  must  be  observed. 

We  have  learned  now  that  a  true  musical  tone  con- 
sists of  a  fundamental  note  and  a  series  of  overtones. 
The  ear  is  quite  capable  of  recognizing  many  of  these 
overtones.  The  most  obvious  can  be  readily  separated 
from  its  fundamental  by  a  simple  experiment. 

The  overtones  arrange  themselves  in  a  definite  order 
as  follows: 

1.  The  fundamental  tone.   (1st  Key.) 

2.  An  overtone  one  octave  above  the  fundamental. 

3.  An  overtone  a  fifth  above  the  octave. 

4.  An  overtone  two  octaves  above  the  fundamen- 
tal. 

5.  An  overtone  a  major  third  above  the  second 
octave. 

6.  An  overtone  a  major  fifth  above  the  second 
octave. 

If  you  have  a  piano  try  this  experiment: 
Without  sound  hold  down  the  middle  "C";  then 
with  considerable  force  strike  the  "C"  one  octave  be- 
low and  immediately  release  it.  You  will  hear  the 
middle  "C"  very  distinctly,  although  you  did  not  strike 
it.  Now  in  succession  hold  down  each  of  the  keys 
"G,"  "C,"  "E,"and  "G"  above  the  middle  "C,"  while 
you  strike  and  release  the  fundamental  bass  "C."  If 
your  piano  is  in  tune  you  will  distinctly  hear  each  sepa- 
rate key  sounding  as  you  hold  it  down,  while  striking 
the  fundamental  key,  the  ''C'  below  the  middle  "C." 

A  musical  tone  is  rich  in  quality  when  all  the  over- 
tones just  indicated  are  present  in  their  fullness.  Such 
a  tone  is  always  rich  and  strong.  A  tone  that  is  weak 
and  thin  is  so  because  of  the  absence  or  the  weakness 
of  the  overtones. 


10 


LESSON  XXV 


The  vocalist's  efforts,  whether  singer  or  speaker, 
must  be  directed  toward  obtaining  a  full,  strong  voice, 
because  only  then  can  it  also  be  a  voice  rich  and 
superior  in  quality. 

Another  good  illustration  of  overtones  is  that  of 
likening  a  tone  to  the  action  of  throwing  a  pebble  into 
a  still  pond,  which  causes  ripples  to  form  in  all  direc- 
tions in  a  circular  fashion  from  the  spot  at  which  the 
pebble  disappeared.  In  the  center  the  ripples  are  well 
pronounced,  but  as  they  broaden  out  they  gradually 
diminish  in  intensity  until  they  finally  disappear  alto- 
gether. A  large  stone  would  cause  stronger  and  broader 
ripples  to  form.  So  it  is  with  a  tone  in  which  the  excit- 
ing force  is  initially  powerful  enough  to  cause  the  over- 
tones (ripples)  to  continue  to  a  great  distance.  The 
power  and  efficiency  of  the  initial  tone  determines  the 
quality  and  distinctness  of  the  tone. 

EXERCISES  TO  LESSON  XXV 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  you  should  thor- 
oughly understand  the  part  which  the  hyo-glossus 
muscle  plays  in  the  stretching  of  the  vocal  chords.  As 
I  have  stated  before,  the  chord  stretching  is  done  by 
•means  of  muscles  which  run  up  and  down  from  the 
larynx,  and  each  of  these  muscles  must  possess  a  relative 
strength.  It  is  only  the  hyo-glossus  muscle,  however, 
that  need  be  trained.  This  muscle,  although  broad,  is 
very  thin,  while  the  other  muscles  are  thick  and  are 
also  attached  to  bones  which  give  them  a  firm  hold. 
The  hyo-glossus  muscle  controls  the  larynx  and  the 
stronger  it  is,  the  easier  it  can  stretch  the  vocal  chords. 

Its  work  might  be  compared  to  that  of  an  acrobat 
pulling  himself  upward  on  a  trapeze.  The  trapeze 
affords  to  the  arms  a  firm  hold  and  if  the  arm  muscles 


LESSON  XXV 


11 


are  strong  enough,  the  person  can  raise  himself;  but 
if  they  are  not,  he  must  acquire  the  necessary  strength 
through  training.  This  is  true  of  the  vocal  muscles.  If 
the  hyoid  muscle  is  weak  it  cannot  stretch  the  chords, 
therefore  it  must  be  trained.  When  this  muscle  is 
trained  it  does  the  stretching  easily  and  the  result  is  a 
good  voice.  The  genio-glossus  muscle  stands  in  the 
same  relation  to  the  hyoid  muscle  that  the  trapeze  does 
to  the  acrobat;  it  is  a  resistance  against  which  the 
stretching  can  be  done. 

First:  Place  the  soft  point  of  your  forefinger  under 
the  front  of  the  tongue,  determine  that  the  tongue 
shall  not  move  backward,  then  push  against  the  tongue 
and  observe  that  it  becomes  tense  and  hard.  Push 
gradually  harder  and  harder  while  you  still  determine 
that  the  tongue  should  not  move  backward.  After 
trying  this  a  few  times  you  will  find  that  even  your 
strongest  push  cannot  force  the  tongue  out  of  place. 
You  see,  Nature  has  made  the  chin  muscles  strong  so 
that  the  hyoid  muscle  could  use  it  as  a  brace  or  sup- 
port. This  is  another  physiological  proof  of  the  cor- 
rectness of  the  method  I  am  teaching. 

By  this  time  you  appreciate  the  necessity  of  exer- 
cising the  hyoid  muscle  against  strong  resistance.  The 
reason  the  old  methods  of  teaching  singing  and  speak- 
ing have  not  been  successful,  is  because  they  did  not 
provide  for  the  strengthening  and  developing  of  this 
weak  muscle.  The  exercise  with  the  thumb  under  the 
tongue  must  be  practiced  as  often  as  you  can  each  day 
and  always  until  the  tongue  becomes  tired.  As  the 
hyoid  muscle  strengthens,  you  will  gradually  notice, 
on  the  under  side  of  the  tongue,  a  place  where  the 
tongue  seems  to  part  in  two.  This  is  where  the  chin 
muscle  and  the  hyoid  muscle  meet  and  pull  against 
each  other. 


12 


LESSON  XXV 


Those  who  are  not  professionally  compelled  to  do 
so,  should  sing  as  little  as  possible  until  the  voice 
shows  indications  of  coming  full,  free  and  strong.  Bear 
in  mind  that  for  every  note  sung,  there  should  be  a 
corresponding  beat  under  the  tongue.  Be  guided  by 
this  and  sing  only  so  high  as  the  beat  is  perceptible, 
and  no  higher.  When  the  tongue  muscle  is  strong 
enough  to  tense  the  vocal  chords  correctly  for  a  higher 
note,  the  beat  will  be  in  evidence  and  can  be  felt  by 
the  little  finger.  This  beat  develops  quickly  up  to  "F" 
on  the  fifth  line,  but  from  there  on  the  progress  is  al- 
ways slower;  in  many  persons  a  long-continued  prac- 
tice is  needled  to  develop  the  great  strength. 

The  speaker  will  make  more  rapid  progress  than 
the  singer  unless  his  muscles  are  very  weak  when  he 
begins.  You  must  continue  the  thumb  under  the 
tongue  exercise  until  your  voice  comes  full,  free  and 
strong.  If  the  front  of  the  tongue  remains  loose  and 
the  rear  is  contracted,  as  proven  by  the  beat  of  the 
muscle  upon  the  thumb,  you  can  be  sure  that  you  are 
practicing  the  exercises  correctly  and  progressing  satis- 
factorily. Remember  very  much  practice  of  this  exer- 
cise is  needed  from  now  on;  practice  all  you  can  every 
day. 

PREVENTING  NASAL  TONES 

When  the  hyoid  muscle  is  not  strong  enough  to 
stretch  the  vocal  chords  sufiiciently  to  produce  the 
higher  tones,  the  singer  is  frequently  tempted  to  direct 
these  tones  toward  the  palate  and  the  head;  in  fact  he 
is  often  taught  to  do  so.  This  mode  of  singing  is  in- 
correct and  soon  becomes  nasal.  The  humming  which 
is  sometimes  resorted  to,  is  also  useless.  Even  speakers 
sometimes  acquire  the  habit  of  speaking  through  the 
nose.  If  you  have  acquired  this  fault,  you  should  make 
the  following  test: 


LESSON  XXV 


13 


Second:  Place  the  soft  part  of  your  thumb  against 
the  place  where  the  soft  palate  meets  the  hard  palate 
in  the  roof  of  the  mouth  and  breathe  a  few  times 
through  the  nose.  If  you  find  that  the  soft  palate 
presses  lightly  on  the  thumb,  it  is  a  proof  that  the 
palate  and  thyroid  muscles  are  relaxed,  leaving  the 
passage  to  the  nose  open,  and  this  would  allow  the 
tone  to  follow  the  wrong  course.  Still,  the  palate 
should  not  be  raised,  but  should  stretch  backward 
sufficiently  to  close  the  passage  to  the  nose. 

Third:  Speak  the  letter  "P"  a  few  times  with  the 
lips  only,  avoiding  the  vowel  *'e"  sound.  Then  close 
the  lips  tightly  and  hold  them  so  while  you  repeatedly 
try  to  pronounce  the  "P"  in  the  rear  of  the  mouth. 
Note  the  place  in  the  mouth  where  you  feel  the  air 
pressure.  When  you  are  mentally  sure  of  the  location, 
avoid  singing  or  speaking  from  this  place.  This  exer- 
cise is  an  example  used  simply  to  point  out  a  vocal 
defect.  When  the  tongue  muscle  has  been  made  suf- 
ficiently strong,  the  nasal  sounds  will  disappear  and 
the  correct  sound  issue  from  the  natural  place.  Always 
•  intend  to  speak  or  sing  out  of  the  tongue.  Think  the 
"tongue  loose  but  active. 

THE  MOUTH 

To  open  the  mouth  widely  during  singing  or  speak- 
ing is  always  harmful,  because  it  relaxes  the  important 
reinforcing  facial  muscles  and  impairs  the  tones. 

Fourth:  Place  the  points  of  the  forefinger  and 
thumb  together  as  you  do  to  take  a  pinch  of  salt,  and 
in  this  position  lay  them  between  the  teeth,  allowing 
the  teeth  to  rest  against  the  rear  ends  of  the  finger 
nails.  Observe  the  size  of  the  opening  and  remember 
that  in  singing  or  speaking  the  mouth  should  never  be 
opened  wider  than  this.  Now,  with  the  teeth  touching 


14 


LESSON  XXV 


the  nails  and  the  Hps  touching  the  flesh  of  the  finger 
and  thumb,  speak  out  ''ah"  and  ''ooh."  You  will  find 
that  the  lips  attempt  to  draw  together.  Next  pronounce 
all  the  vowels  and  then  some  words  and  sentences, 
being  careful  to  see  that  the  lips  do  not  draw  away 
from  the  fingers,  but,  instead,  press  them  slightly.  The 
lips  should  never  be  drawn  away  from  the  teeth;  they 
should  always  cover  them.  When  you  know  the  right 
opening  of  the  mouth,  use  the  tryhedron,  and  remem- 
ber just  where  it  fits  between  the  teeth.  The  try- 
hedron is  the  little  saw-tooth ed  triangular  piece  of 
wood.  If  you  have  the  tendency  to  expose  the  teeth, 
gradually  try  to  overcome  that  fault. 

THE  JAW 

When  the  hyoid  muscle  has  been  fully  developed, 
neither  the  singer  nor  the  speaker  will  be  tempted  to 
use  any  other  than  the  legitimate  muscles,  because  the 
vocal  organ  will  then  be  normal.  Because  very  few 
people  possess  a  naturally  strong  hyoid  muscle,  they 
unconsciously  try  to  help  their  voices  by  other  means. 
The  singer,  for  instance,  finds  that  his  high  tones  are, 
at  a  certain  pitch,  thin  and  falsetto,  while  up  to  that 
pitch  he  can  sing  with  a  chest  voice. 

He  does  not  know  the  cause  of  his  trouble,  but 
supposes  that  he  is  not  exerting  himself  sufficiently 
and  in  his  effort  to  increase  his  higher  tones  to  the 
volume  of  the  chest  tones,  he  calls  the  chewing  muscles 
to  his  assistance.  There  is  a  muscle  which  runs  in  a 
direct  line  from  the  lower  chin  to  the  hyoid  bone.  This 
muscle,  with  the  assistance  of  the  chewing  muscles, 
can  stretch  the  vocal  chords,  but  this  kind  of  stretch- 
ing is  wrong.  The  results  are  very  deceptive.  Through 
the  use  of  this  muscle  the  singer  can  quickly  acquire  a 
large  tone,  but  it  means  the  ultimate  ruin  of  his  voice. 


LESSON  XXV 


15 


Remember  this,  if  the  chewing  muscles  are  not  used  in 
singing  or  speaking,  this  muscle  from  the  chin  to  the 
hyoid  bone  cannot  contract  and  therefore  can  do  no 
damage,  therefore  the  jaw  should  remain  flexible. 

Fifth:  Close  your  mouth  and  press  your  closed  fist 
hard  against  the  underpart  of  the  chin.  Then  try  to 
open  your  mouth  against  this  pressure  and  observe 
how  stiff  and  tense  the  jaw  feels.  Now  withdraw  the 
fist  suddenly  and  notice  how  loose  and  comfortable  the 
jaw  feels  now.  Observe  the  contrast  between  stiff  and 
loose  jaw.  This  is  the  way  it  should  feel  while  singing 
and  speaking.  You  will  also  find  that  when  the  fist  is 
removed  the  mouth  does  not  open  much.  This  is  the 
natural  position  of  the  jaw  and  mouth.  In  this 
position  the  tongue  and  palate  muscles  work  freely  and 
it  is  only  then  that  they  can  reinforce  the  tone. 

POSITION  OF  THE  BODY 

The  body  should  be  held  neither  stiff  nor  relaxed. 
In  a  relaxed  position,  the  muscles  lose  their  firm  hold 
and  cannot  work  effectively.  In  a  stiff  position,  they 
are  already  contracted  and  of  course  cannot  be  further 
contracted  without  being  forced.  Both  of  these  faults 
interfere  with  the  breathing  organs  and  through  them 
with  the  vocal  organ.  You  must  try  to  hold  your  body 
flexible  and  ready  to  respond  at  an  instant's  notice. 

Sixth:  Stand  in  an  extremely  upright  position, 
with  the  head  thrown  back,  chin  drawn  in  and  the 
chest  expanded.  Then  suddenly  relax  as  if  exhausted, 
allowing  the  body  to  drop  forward,  but  remain  stand- 
ing. Repeat  many  times.  Later  on,  as  you  relax,  let 
the  arms  swing  forward,  so  that  the  hands  touch.  Hold 
this  loose,  drooping  position  and  observe  that  the 
shoulder  blades  stand  out  prominently  like  two  wings 
spread  apart.   Then  think  that  you  will  suddenly  but 


16 


LESSON  XXV 


easily  adjust  the  wings.  In  the  effort  to  adjust  them 
by  drawing  in  the  shoulder  blades,  you  will  find  that 
the  body  and  the  head  are  drawn  up  into  a  perfectly 
free  and  natural  position.  Always  hold  this  position 
by  thinking  of  the  shoulder  blades  as  wings  resting 
deep  and  loosely  down  in  the  back.  The  correct  posi- 
i       tion  of  the  body  is  flexible,  neither  stiff  nor  loose. 

THE  VOCAL  ORGAN  AND  HEALTH 

The  swallowing  muscles,  which  run  directly  into 
the  stomach,  are  also  connected  with  the  vocal  organ. 
For  this  reason,  anything  that  affects  the  general 
health  is  also  injurious  to  the  voice.  A  weak  stomach, 
for  instance,  affects  the  vocal  muscles  and  vice  versa. 
Usually,  things  which  are  not  injurious  to  the  general 
health,  are  not  detrimental  to  the  voice,  and  as  the 
vocal  chords  are  so  well  protected,  there  is  no  need  of 
coddling  the  throat. 

If  you  have  carefully  observed  my  instructions  and 
practiced  each  exercise  in  its  order  and  for  a  sufficient 
length  of  time,  your  vocal  organ  will  now  be  strong 
enough  to  permit  you  to  sing  or  speak  regularly.  Do 
not  attempt  to  do  too  much  at  first.  Begin  by  singing 
or  speaking  for  half  an  hour  each  day  and  increase  the 
time  daily  as  you  find  that  you  do  not  become  tired. 
Every  little  gain  you  make  will  be  permanent.  If  you 
find  you  have  not  yet  as  much  vocal  strength  as  you 
require,  continue  the  thumb  and  tongue  exercise.  You 
cannot  well  over-exercise  the  hyoid  muscle,  so  have 
no  fear  on  that  point.  And  remember  this,  there  are 
no  heights  up  to  perfection  that  you  cannot  reach,  if 
you  conscientiously  persist  in  the  exercises  I  have  pro- 
vided for  you  in  these  instructions.  These  exercises, 
and  the  ones  that  will  follow  in  later  lessons,  will  give  you 
the  strength  and  tone  which  constitute  the  perfect  voice. 


LESSON  XXV 


17 


EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON 
LESSON  XXV 

L  What  note  or  pitch  has  been  considered  normal 
tone  for  declamation  and  chanting? 

2.  V^hat  constitutes  pitch? 

3.  What  are  overtones? 

4.  If  a  voice  is  thin  or  weak,  are  overtones  possible? 

5.  What  is  the  fundamental  key  to  a  beautiful 
voice? 

6.  Does  the  experiment  with  the  fork  and  resonator 
convince  you  that  my  method  is  in  accord  with  natural 
scientific  laws? 

7.  Can  you  create  resonance  by  directing  the  voice 
either  to  the  chest  or  to  the  head? 

8.  Is  it  plain  to  you  that  it  is  not  the  air  within 
the  chest,  throat  or  head  that  makes  resonance  possible, 
but  the  muscles,  cartilages,  bones? 

9.  Is  your  voice  ever  nasal? 

10.  Do  you  see  the  difference  between  loose,  stiff 
and  flexible  conditions,  and  which  of  these  is  right? 


LESSON  XXVI 

A  SPECIAL  DISCUSSION  ON  PHYSICAL  SCI- 
ENCE AS  RELATED  TO  THE  VOCALIST- 
BREATHING,  FOOD  AND  ENERGY 

With  this  lesson  begins  a  very  important  part  of  this 
course.  The  question  of  correct  breathing  will  now  be 
treated  in  an  exact  and  scientific  manner,  based  upon 
close  analysis  of  all  the  organs  involved.  Correct  living 
and  the  influence  of  food  upon  physical  energy  should 
be  considered  in  connection  with  the  study  of  voice,  and 
a  consideration  of  these  points  will  introduce  the  special 
lessons  on  correct  breathing. 

Every  now  and  then  someone  announces  a  specific 
cure  of  all  bodily  ills  by  adopting  special  diets.  In  the 
domain  of  the  voice  there  have  been  many  who  claimed 
to  develop  the  voice  merely  by  the  observation  of  a  spe- 
cial food  diet,  special  breathing  exercises,  mental  proc- 
esses and  even  hypnotic  suggestion.  I  remember,  many 
years  ago,  when  I  was  a  professor  in  college,  walking  one 
morning  in  the  corridor,  that  a  student  came  up  to  me 
and  in  all  earnestness  propounded  the  theory  that  birds 
could  warble  with  such  marvelous  effectiveness,  because 
they  lived  principally  on  seeds,  and  didn't  I  think  that 
if  he  lived  a  vegetarian  life,  his  voice  would  improve  fas- 
ter than  in  any  other  way !  Just  then  a  donkey  on  a  near- 
by hill  brayed.  ''There,"  I  told  him,  "  is  your  answer; 
that  fellow  never  touches  even  a  worm,  he  is  strictly 
vegetarian,  but  it  does  not  seem  to  have  improved  his 
voice  to  any  marked  degree." 

The  law  of  God  and  the  laws  of  Nature  never  change. 
If  these  laws  are  observed,  you  will  enjoy  physical  and 
mental  health  and,  in  modest  measure,  all  the  happiness 
which  is  possible  in  the  present  state  of  society. 

1 


2  LESSON  XXVI 

But  if  you  violate  any  of  the  laws  you  will  suffer,  not 
as  a  punishment,  but  as  the  natural  and  logical  conse- 
quence of  your  act.  You  cannot  evade  these  conse- 
quences by  any  specific  prescription ;  the  only  way  is  to 
conform  to  the  law,  and  when  you  are  again  in  harmony 
with  the  laws,  health  and  happiness  will  again  be  yours. 

The  laws  of  health  may  be  violated  without  your  will, 
even  without  your  knowledge,  nevertheless  you  will 
suffer  until  equilibrium  is  restored.  You  are  not  to  be 
blamed  for  having  toothache,  for  instance;  the  cause  of 
that  is  beyond  your  power  of  prevention,  but  modern 
science  of  dentistry  has  discovered  that  decayed  teeth 
expose  the  nerves  and  that  by  filling  the  cavity  of  a 
tooth,  the  nerve  resumes  its  normal  healthy  condition. 

If  you  should  be  so  unfortunate  as  to  break  an  arm, 
a  good  surgeon  will  reset  it  and  in  time  the  pain  will 
cease  and  your  arm  will  be  restored  to  usefulness.  The 
way  to  a  resumption  of  natural  conditions  was  observed 
in  both  cases. 

The  voice  is  so  much  a  part  of  your  individuality, 
that  anything  which  tends  to  interfere  with  it,  is  a  sure 
sign  of  severe  disobedience  of  some  natural  law. 

Now  whether  a  defective  vocal  organ  is  the  cause  of 
other  bodily  ills,  such  as  consumption,  nervousness,  men- 
tal depression,  etc.,  or  whether  these  are  the  causes  of  a 
defective  vocal  organ,  cannot  be  stated  positively. 

The  important  point  is  that  a  practical  remedy  has 
been  found  to  develop  the  vocal  organ  to  the  highest 
state  of  perfection;  and  the  assumption,  backed  by  ex- 
perience, is  that  a  perfectly  developed  vocal  organ  will 
invariably  produce  a  normal  function  of  the  entire  throat 
tract  and  improve  the  physical  condition  of  all  the  parts 
connected  with  the  throat.  Even  the  stomach  must  of 
necessity  depend,  to  some  extent  at  least,  upon  a. sound 
throat,  because  the  aesophagus  or  food  pipe  reaches  from 


LESSON  XXVI 


3 


the  tongue  downward  into  the  stomach.  Of  course  the 
opposite  is  just  as  true,  that  whatever  affects  the 
stomach  or  any  part  of  the  digestive  tract,  will  in  time 
injure  the  voice. 


Fig.  146 


AMPHION,  KING  OF  THEBES 

It  is  said  that  when  he  played  on  his  lyre  the  stones  moved  of  their  own 
accord  and  took  their  places  in  the  wall. 

"'Tis  said  he  had  a  tuneful  tongue, 
Such  happy  intonation, 
Wherever  he  sat  down  and  sung 
He  left  a  small  plantation,  etc." 

— Tennyson 

No  Special  diet  need  be  observed  by  those  seeking  a 
superior  voice,  but  certainly  they  should  observe  the  laws 
of  hygienic  and  moral  living  in  addition  to  the  direct 
physical  practice  of  developing  the  vocal  organ. 

The  object  of  taking  breath  is  not  so  much  that  of 
filling  the  lungs  with  air,  as  of  obtaining  the  oxygen  in 
the  air  we  breathe.  So  in  taking  food,  the  object  is  to 
obtain  certain  chemical  properties  contained  in  the  food 


4 


LESSON  XXVI 


we  eat  and  which  are  just  as  necessary  for  the  body  as 
the  oxygen  which  transforms  the  food  into  its  original 
elements. 

More  than  one-half  of  the  earth  crust  consists  of  oxy- 
gen. The  water  we  drink  is  eight-ninths  oxygen  by 
weight,  the  air  we  breathe  and  the  food  we  eat  are  large- 
ly oxygen. 

A  treatise  upon  breathing  should,  I  think,  contain 
some  information  on  the  subject  of  food  and  its  neces- 
sity to  the  well-being  of  the  body.  I  cannot  do  better 
than  repeat  a  recent  article  by  Dr.  W.  A.  Evans  in  the 
''Chicago  Tribune." 

FOOD  AND  ENERGY 

''We  eat  food  because  we  are  hungry,  because  we  like 
its  taste,  because  of  an  instinct  which  guides  us  to  select 
what  is  good  for  us  and  to  reject  what  is  harmful,  and 
because  of  customs  and  habits.  We  may  never  have 
heard  of  calories,  but  somewhere  in  us  there  is  a  machin- 
ery which  makes  us  crave  heat -making  foods  in  cold 
weather  and  protein  foods  when  we  have  labored  hard. 
Under  special  circumstances  we  crave  salt,  and  the  spe- 
cial craving  at  times  for  water  we  have  set  apart  from 
hunger  and  call  thirst. 

The  cravings  and  instincts  of  animals  and  uncivilized 
men,  the  civilized  man  has  studied  until  he  not  only 
knows  them  practically  better  than  any  wild  animal  or 
savage  man,  but  he  knows  the  science  which  underlies 
them. 

The  savage  knows  that  there  are  certain  foods  which 
he  must  eat  in  cold  weather.  The  scientist  first  called 
these  heat-making  foods.  Then  he  discovered  that  these 
foods  are  used  by  the  body  as  fuels  through  processes 
quite  similar  to  burning.  Next  it  was  discovered  that 
when  the  fuel  foods  are  burned  in  the  body  they  make 


LESSON  XXVI 


5 


just  the  same  amount  of  heat  they  make  when  burned 
outside  the  body. 

Next  it  became  necessary  to  have  a  standard  for 
measuring  the  amounts  of  heat — something  similar  to 
yardsticks,  pint  measures,  and  pound  weights.  The 
standard  hit  upon  is  called  a  calorie.  A  calorie  is  the 
amount  of  heat  necessary  to  raise  the  temperature  of  one 
pound  of  water  from  zero  to  4  degrees  Fahrenheit. 

The  next  discovery  was  that  the  same  quality  which 
made  heat  could  make  energy.  That  was  not  a  remark- 
able discovery  since  there  were  so  many  related  facts 
that  were  common  knowledge.  For  instance,  fuel  under 
a  boiler  is  burned  to  make  heat,  which  in  turn  is  used  to 
make  steam,  and  this  is  used  to  produce  work  or  energy. 

Since  heat  values  and  energy  values  were  the  same 
and  interchangeable,  it  was  concluded  that  the  measure 
known  as  the  calorie  would  answer  for  both  fuel  foods 
and  energy  foods.  The  savage  sensed  that  when  he  had 
worked  hard,  fought  hard  or  hunted  hard  he  needed 
meat;  that  his  growing  young  needed  milk  and  eggs; 
that  the  meat  eaters  conquered  the  vegetable  eaters  and 
the  fruit  eaters.  . 

The  scientist  discovered  that  work  wore  the  tissues 
of  the  body;  that  for  the  repair  of  waste,  proteins  and 
salts  were  required;  that  the  proteins  from  meat,  milk, 
and  eggs  were  better  repairers  than  the  proteins  from 
vegetables. 

There  is  no  scientific  measure  of  protein  that  corres- 
ponds to  the  calorie  as  a  measure  of  heat  and  energy. 
The  best  that  can  be  said  is  that  a  pound  of  a  given  food 
contains  a  certain  number  of  ounces  or  grains  of  protein, 
and  also  that  the  human  body  under  certain  conditions 
requires  a  certain  number  of  ounces  of  protein  to  repair 
wear  and  tear. 


6  LESSON  XXVI 

Next  came  the  explanation  of  the  advantage  of 
a  meat  over  a  vegetable  diet  as  a  repairer  of  wear.  Pro- 
teins are  not  simple  substances.  They,  in  turn,  can  be 
split  up  into  amino  acids.  The  amino  acids  in  protein 
from  meat  are  better  suited  to  repair  the  wear  in  the 
body  of  the  human  animal  than  are  those  in  the  protein 
from  vegetables. 

At  the  head  of  the  list  are  the  proteins  of  milk  and 
eggs,  then  come  those  from  meats.  The  amino  acids  in 
gelatin  are  so  different  from  those  of  meat  that  we  know 
they  cannot  repair  waste  by  themselves.  We  call  them 
incomplete  proteins .  Among  the  vegetable  proteins  some 
are  more  nearly  what  the  human  body  requires  than  are 
others. 

It  is  no  whim  of  taste  that  men  prefer  wheat  bread. 
It  is  not  because  wheat  came  from  Palestine.  Wheat 
protein  is  nearest  perfect  of  all  the  vegetable  proteins. 
The  amino  acids  of  corn  protein  are  not  exactly  right  for 
the  human  animal.  Wild  animals  know  that  certain  min- 
eral foods  are  necessary.  They  travel  long  distances  to 
reach  "licks."  On  the  one  hand  where  there  is  enough 
lime  the  animals  are  strong  and  heavy.  On  the  other 
they  avoid  the  bad  lands  where  there  is  an  excess  of  cer- 
tain minerals. 

The  scientists  explain  all  of  this  by  saying  that  cer- 
tain amounts  of  certain  salts  are  necessary  for  the  main- 
tenance of  bodily  well-being.  Furthermore,  they  say 
that  when  the  amount  that  is  taken  in  is  beyond  the 
needs  of  the  body,  the  excess  is  either  passed  through  the 
body  without  being  absorbed  or  is  absorbed  and  in  great- 
est part  immediately  thrown  off. 

And,  finally,  the  knowledge  that  freshness  in  certain 
foods  is  necessary  at  times,  is  instinctive.  The  hibernat- 
ing animal  escaping  in  the  spring  goes  for  young  green 


LESSON  XXVI 


7 


twigs,  the  young  of  all  animal  kind  are  fed  on  milk  fresh 
from  a  mother. 

The  scientist  tells  us  that  there  are  substances  called 
vitamines;  that  these  are  necessary  for  continued  good 
health,  that  they  are  delicate  and  that  much  disturb- 
ance of  a  food  is  liable  to  get  rid  of  its  vitamines;  that 
this  vitamine  quality,  whatever  it  is,  is  a  delicate  quality. 

To  boil  milk  destroys  this  quality,  to  polish  rice  re- 
moves it.  To  get  it  in  sufficient  quantity  possibly  we 
need  to  eat  some  fruit  and  some  fresh  vegetables  occa- 
sionally. That  food  may  be  digestible;  it  is  desirable 
that  it  be  palatable.  Its  odor  and  its  taste  must  appeal 
to  the  proper  brain  centers.  Whether  the  taste  be  nat- 
ural or  acquired,  it  must  be  catered  to. 

That  the  process  of  digestion  and  absorption  may 
proceed  normally  it  is  necessary  that  the  foods  eaten 
should  have  proper  bulk  and  consistency.  Let  us  illus- 
trate in  this  way:  The  starch  in  dough  can  be  cooked 
in  a  few  minutes;  that  in  oatmeal  is  so  mixed  with  cellu- 
lose or  fiber,  that  hours  of  cooking  are  required  that  the 
heat  may  get  at  the  starch  granules  and  cook  them. 

The  digestive  juices  cannot  get  at  food  elements  until 
the  food  has  been  properly  broken  up,  and  later  absorp- 
tion cannot  take  place  until  the  digested  food  is  a  proper 
solution  or  suspension. 

For  proper  action  of  the  intestines  sufficient  bulk  and 
sufficient  moisture  are  necessary.  The  great  sources  of 
heat  and  energy  are  fats  and  starches.  Sugars  are  close- 
ly akin  to  starches.  The  great  sources  of  protein  are 
milk,  meats,  eggs  and  grain.  The  great  sources  of  salts 
are  fruits,  vegetables,  and  table  salt.  The  great  sources 
of  vitamines  are  vegetables,  fruits  and  milk.  The  great 
sources  of  bulky  constituents  are  vegetables,  fruits,  and 
the  outer  parts  of  grain. 


8 


LESSON  XXVI 


The  secretions  of  the  body  can  change  many  of  the 
elements  of  foods.  Starches  are  changed  into  sugar. 
They  can  be  stored  in  the  body  as  fat  or  as  sugars  or 
they  can  be  burned  into  carbonic  acid  with  the  forma- 
tion of  heat  or  energy  or  both.  Fats  can  be  stored  in  the 
body  as  fats  or  as  sugars,  or  they  can  be  burned  into 
carbonic  acid  with  the  formation  of  heat  and  energy. 

Protein  can  be  built  up  as  a  body  tissue  or  it  can  be 
converted  into  fat  or  sugar  and  stored.  It  can  be  burned 
into  urea  and  allied  substances  and  excreted  by  the  body 
principally  by  the  kidneys,  or  it  can  be  burned  into  car- 
bonic acid  and  excreted  principally  by  the  lungs.  While 
protein  can  be  converted  into  fats  or  sugars,  neither  fats 
nor  sugars  can  be  converted  into  protein,  such  as  muscle 
or  tissue  cells. 

So  far  instinct  has  blazed  the  paths  which  science  has 
later  followed.  Some  of  the  paths  were  made  plain  by, 
instinct.  They  were  broad  highways  easily  seen  and  fol- 
lowed. Some  of  them  were  no  more  than  Indian  trails — 
a  leaf  turned  here,  a  track  there — from  these  science 
learned  but  little.  From  this  point  on  science  gets  little 
help  from  instinct. 

The  elementary  composition  of  the  body  of  an  aver- 
age person  weighing  150  pounds  is  about  as  follows: 


Oxygen  97.5  pounds 

Carbon  27  pounds 

Hydrogen  15  pounds 

Nitrogen   4.5  pounds 

Calcium   3  pounds 

Phosphorus   1.5  pounds 

Potassium  52  or  over  8  ounces 

Sulphur  375  or  over  6  ounces 

Sodium  225  or  3.6  ounces 

Chlorine  225  or  3.6  ounces 

Magnesium  075  or  about  1  ounce 

Iron  006  or  about  40  grams 


And  faint  traces  of  a  few  other  chemicals. 


LESSON  XXVI 


9 


To  supply  the  daily  waste  from  wear  and  the 
energy  and  heat  required,  the  food  must  contain  varying 
quantities  of  the  above  ingredients.  Most  of  the  oxygen 
needed  is  taken  in  with  the  air,  but  all  the  other  elements 
are  taken  as  food.  The  measure  of  the  amount  of  food 
required  is  generally  expressed  in  calories  in  speaking 
of  the  heat  and  energy  requirements,  and  in  grains  or 
ounces  of  protein  in  speaking  of  the  repair  requirements. 
Generally  the  amount  of  minerals  required  is  left  to 
chance  or  instinct. 

The  number  of  calories  required  for  a  man  of  average 
size,  with  good  digestion  and  assimilation,  varies  accord- 


ing to  his  work  as  follows: 

In  bed  24  hours  1,600  to  1,800 

At  rest,  but  sitting  most  of  the  day  2,000  to  2,300 

Work  chiefly  done  sitting  2,200  to  2,800 

Work  chiefly  done  standing  or  walking.  .2,700  to  3,000 
Work  developing  muscular  strength ....  3,000  to  3,500 
Work  requiring  severe  effort.  4,000  to  6,000 

The  number  of  calories  per  pound  of  weight  per  hour 
according  to  different  kinds  of  activity  is  as  follows: 

Sleeping   ^2 

Sitting  quietly   V5 

Standing   % 

Light  exercise   1 

Moderate  exercise  1  %  to  1 

Active  exercise  1  %  to  2 

Severe  exercise  3  or  more 


On  the  above  basis  Dr.  Rose,  in  ''Feeding  the  Family," 
gives  the  following  day's  menu  for  a  workingman : 


10 


LESSON  XXVI 


Breakfast 

Food  and  measure.                                Weight,    Protein,  Tot. 

ounces      cal's.  cal's. 

Oatmeal  mush,  IV2  cups                   12       25  150 

Creamed  dried  beef,  Ye  cup                 6       40  250 

New  England  cornbread,  large  slice     4       32  400 

Oleomargarine,  2  tablespoons  9      .  .  200 

Milk,  in  cereal  and  coffee,  %  cup.  .  5.1  19  100 
Sugar  for  cereal  and  coffee,  2 

tablespoons  9      .  .  100 

Coffee,  1  cup  

1,200 

Luncheon 

Kidney  bean  stew,  1%  cups              18       100  355 

Rye  bread,  V4  loaf                           2.8      28  200 

Oleomargarine,  2  tablespoons  9       .  .  200 

Banana,  1  large                                5.5        5  100 

Molasses  cookies,  2  large                   1.5      12  200 

Milk  for  coffee,  3  tablespoons             2          8  40 

Sugar  for  coffee,  1  tablespoon  (scant)    .5       .  .  50 

Coffee,  1  cup  

1,145 

Dinner 

Stuffed  beef  heart,  1  serving              4        84  400 

Potatoes,  boiled,  2  small                    5.4      16  150 

Carrots,  2  small                                5          5  50 

White  bread,      loaf                         3.9      42  300 

Oleomargarine,  2  tablespoons  9       .  .  200 

Date  pudding  sauce,  1  serving ....    3.5      22  310 

Brown  sugar  for  clear,  2  tablespoons      .8       .  .  100 

Milk  for  coffee,  2  tablespoons             2          8  40 

Sugar  for  coffee,  1  tablespoon  (scant)     .5       .  .  50 

Coffee,  1  cup  

1,600 

446  3,945 

Enough  for  a  man  doing  heavy  work.  Cost  about  40 
cents.  This  cost,  of  course,  wascornputed  before  the  pres- 
ent high  scale  of  necessities. 


LESSON  XXVI 


11 


EXERCISES  TO  LESSON  XXVI 

STRONG  AND  SOFT  TONES— FF  AND  PP— 
INCREASING  AND  DECREASING  VOICE 

STRONG  VOICE 

Strictly  speaking,  the  ability  to  change  the  voice,  to 
increase  or  decrease  it  at  will,  from  loud  to  soft  or  vice 
versa,  to  connect  the  tones  or  sing  them  detached,  that 
is,  to  use  the  legato,  staccato  or  portamento  effects,  be- 
longs to  the  branch  of  ''expression"  and  not  to  "voice 
development."  However,  so  many  of  my  students  be- 
long to  the  professional  and  higher  walks  of  life,  that  is, 
so  many  of  them  are  public  speakers  and  singers,  that  it 
seems  advisable  to  give  you  all  some  practical  method, 
whereby  you  can  utilize  your  voices  to  the  best  effect 
even  now. 

Both  in  speaking  and  singing,  a  constant  change  of 
voice  is  needed  to  gain  greater  effect  or  at  least  to  avoid 
monotony.  This  constant  change  is  also  demanded  in 
order  to  relax  the  vocal  muscles  from  the  necessary  great 
tension  (which  however  should  never  be  felt)  to  one  of 
less  tension. 

It  seems  quite  natural  for  both  speakers  and  singers 
to  expect  that  when  they  speak  or  sing  with  a  loud  or 
strong  voice  they  must  first  exert  themselves  corres- 
pondingly and  second  they  must  feel  the  exertion 
somewhere  in  the  body.  Indeed,  this  is  just  what  is  be- 
ing taught  in  some  schools,  studios  and  conservatories. 

It  is  true  that  greater  exertion  must  be  made,  but  it 
is  not  true  that  greater  exertion  must  be  felt.  This  will 
seem  like  a  contradiction  to  many,  because  their  experi- 
ence has  taught  them  that  in  lifting  a  heavy  weight, 
they  must  exert  themselves  correspondingly  more  than 
in  lifting  a  lesser  weight.  This  however,  does  not  apply 
to  either  the  action  of  the  vocal  organ  or  the  breathing 
apparatus. 


12 


LESSON  XXVI 


In  the  many  lessons  on  the  vocal  organ,  it  has  been 
shown  that  great  strength  of  the  main  stretching  muscles 
is  required,  because  these  muscles  cannot  exercise  great- 
er strength  than  they  possess.  In  other  words,  if  the 
stretching  muscles  are  weak,  you  cannot  by  any  pos- 
sible chance  increase  the  strength  by  any  sudden  outside 
effort.  Only  constant  practice  of  the  strength -pro- 
ducing exercises,  often  for  a  very  long  period,  will  so 
strengthen  them  that  they  will  respond  perfectly  to  all 
the  demands  made  upon  them.  When  they  have  be- 
come strong,  no  exertion  except  the  exertion  of  will 
power  is  needed  to  utilize  them  to  produce  any  desired 
note  or  tone. 

The  same  is  true  of  the  breathing  muscles,  as  will  be 
further  shown  in  the  lessons  which  follow  this  one. 

1.  Speaking.  Place  your  left  hand  against  the  lower 
abdomen  and  the  right  hand  upon  the  chest.  Take  your 
usual  breath  and  place  the  tip  of  the  tongue  lightly 
against  the  hard  palate  just  behind  the  upper  teeth. 
Now  breathe  out  whole  with  the  sound  of  "S"  till  the 
breath  is  exhausted.  Notice  that  the  chest  sinks  gradu- 
ally to  its  level  of  rest  as  the  breath  escapes,  but  that 
the  abdomen  has  made  very  little,  if  any,  motion.  Only 
at  the  last  when  all  the  breath  has  been  used  up,  will 
you  feel  that  the  sides  of  the  abdomen  are  drawn  slightly 
inward,  toward  each  other.  This  proves  that  the  abdom- 
inal muscles  have  resumed  their  natural  relaxed  position, 
the  same  as  the  chest. 

Now  try  several  times  to  breathe  or  rather  to  whisper 
''S"  as  long  as  your  breath  will  last,  not  trying  to  pro- 
long the  breath,  but  just  let  it  go  of  itself.  Of  course  hold 
the  hands  as  before.  Then  suddenly  make  the  ''S"  as 
if  you  were  hissing  at  somebody.  Notice  that  this  his- 
sing can  be  felt  in  the  chest  and  in  the  abdomen,  also 
that  the  chest  sinks  much  quicker  than  before,  because 


LESSON  XXVI 


13 


the  breath  is  being  used  up  much  faster.  Now  make  the 
hissing  sound  ''S"  in  a  regular  succession  at  "One," 
pause,  'Two,"  pause,  'Three",  pause,  1,2,3,  and  notice 
that  at  each  ''S"  the  abdomen  draws  inward  suddenly 
but  very  little. 

Now  try  the  same  experiment  in  your  regular  speak- 
ing voice,  by  calling  out  "ha,"  "ha,"  "ha."  The  second 
time  determine  to  call  stronger  then  before  and  the  third 
time  call  out  "ha,"  "ha,"  "ha,"  then  "he,"  "he,"  "he," 
or  "hi,"  "hi,"  "hi,"  as  if  you  were  calling  to  a  friend 
across  the  street.  Notice  again,  that  each  time  the  ab- 
domen involuntarily  draws  a  little  together;  it  jerks  a 
little  at  each  call.  This  sudden  but  easy  contraction  of 
the  abdominal  muscles  is  the  chief  cause  of  the  stronger 
breath  pressure  with  louder  voice.  Now  read  aloud  short 
sentences,  for  instance,  a  few  lines  from  the  following: 
"Stone -Age  Stuff,"  by  Edmund  Vance  Cooke,  in  the 
Saturday  Evening  Post. 

STONE-AGE  STUFF 

"You  can  do  a-ny-thing  that  you  try  to  do 

If  only  you  try  to  do  it. 

You  must  get  a  little  start, 

You  must  have  a  little  heart. 

Then  a  long,  strong  pull,  and  go  to  it! 

Oh,  it  may  take  years  to  worry  it  through. 

And  you  may  break  a  leg  or  an  arm  or  two! 

But  in  the  by  and  by  you  will  find  it  true 

That  you'll  do  anything  that  you  try  to  do — 

If  only  you  try  to  do  it! 

You  can  be  a-ny-thing  that  you  want  to  be 

If  you're  sure  that  you  want  to  be  it. 

You  must  keep  your  little  mind 

Very  constantly  inclined 

To  the  far-places  long  before  you  see  it. 


14 


LESSON  XXVI 


Life  may  seem  a  struggle  in  an  angry  sea ; 

But  beat  along  to  windward  and  beware  the  drift  to  lee, 

And  some  day  you'll  be  sailing  on  the  blue  and  free; 

For  you'll  be  anything  that  you  want  to  be — 

If  only  you  want  to  be  it ! 

You  can  make  a-ny  mark  that  you  want  to  make 
If  only  you  want  to  make  it, 
You  must  lug  your  little  pack, 
You  must  plug  along  the  track, 
You  must  keep  the  pace  and  nevermore  forsake  it. 
Oh,  your  brain  may  pain  and  your  muscles  ache, 
Your  soul  may  sicken  and  your  back  may  break; 
But  keep  your  smile  in  the  game  of  give-ajid-take 
And  you'll  make  any  mark  that  you  want  to  make — 
If  only  you  want  to  make  it ! 

But,  whatever  the  aim  of  your  make-be-do, 

Be  sure  that  you  want  to  reach  it, 

For  the  thing  is  up  to  you. 

Quite  too  trite  and  quite  too  true 

For  me  to  try  to  sing  it  or  to  screech  it. 

All  of  us  are  talking,  altho'  few  may  teach ; 

Few  of  us  will  practice  what  we  daily  preach ; 

Most  of  our  observance  is  honored  in  the  breach. 

But,  in  reaching  any  goal  that  you  want  to  reach, 

Be  sure  that  you  want  to  reach  it!" 

For  instance,  read  the  first  few  lines  in  a  very  care- 
lessly speaking  voice;  then  read  slowly  and  very  dis- 
tinctly. At  the  first  word  "You,"  intend  to  make  the  * 
easy  but  rather  sudden  motion  with  the  abdomen ;  only 
this  first  and  single  motion  is  necessary.  With  a  little 
practice  you  will  be  able  to  read  an  entire  sentence  upon 
the  breath  with  which  you  started.  Repeat  the  same 
sentence,  but  speak  it  as  if  you  were  calling  it  to  a  friend 
across  the  street,  with  no  especial  exertion,  but  very 
distinctly. 


LESSON  XXVI 


15 


For  a  strong,  full  voice,  start  each  sentence  by  think- 
ing a  sudden  and  easy  contraction  of  the  lower  abdo- 
men. At  first  make  longer  pauses  between  each  sentence 
and  be  sure  to  realize  a  complete  relaxation  of  the  abdo- 
men during  the  pause  or  rest.  Realize  the  difference 
between  thinking  a  contraction  in  the  abdomen  and 
making  this  contraction.  If  you  make  the  contraction, 
you  are  forcing  or  overdoing,  but  if  you  merely  think 
the  contraction,  the  abdominal  muscles  will  contract 
freely  and  loosely  and  yet  strongly. 

To  think  is  right;  to  force  is  wrong. 

2.  Singing:  After  the  singer  has  had  some  experi- 
ence with  the  exercises  under  the  head  of  "Speaking," 
he  may  proceed  to  use  the  same  experience  in  singing. 
For  instance,  "'Tis  the  Last  Rose  of  Summer."  At  first 
sing  a  sentence  carelessly,  not  trying  to  make  the  tones 
especially  good,  and  observe  the  action  of  the  abdominal 
muscles.  Next  sing  the  same  sentence  distinctly,  begin- 
ning the  first  word  with  an  easy  but  sudden  contraction 
of  the  abdominal  muscles,  as  in  speaking.  After  that 
sing  as  if  you  wanted  to  be  heard  across  the  street  or  by 
the  last  in  a  large  audience ;  this  time  sing  slowly,  almost 
as  if  you  were  spelling  each  word.  Remember  not  to  use 
physical  force,  but  merely  will  power. 

Take  breath  whenever  a  sentence  permits  it.  The 
composer  usually  groups  the  notes  into  a  musical  phrase 
in  accordance  with  the  sense  of  the  words,  so  that  fre- 
quent breath  will  not  mar  the  flow  of  the  melody,  pro- 
vided you  take  your  breath  quickly  enough. 

Most  singers  use  the  abdominal  attack  too  often. 
Only  at  the  beginning  of  each  sentence  or  phrase  should 
it  be  used.  Experience  will  teach  one  just  where  to  begin 
and  to  leave  off.  Start  with  short  phrases,  gradually 
using  longer  ones. 


16 


LESSON  XXVI 


SOFT  VOICE 

1.  Speaking:  Review  the  lesson  and  exercises  on 
the  "Palate  Attack."  Whisper  ''ha"  as  taught  in  Lesson 
XVL  Observe  carefully  that  the  chest  and  abdomen  re- 
main almost  stationary.  Now  speak  several  sentences, 
at  first  quickly,  then  gradually  slower;  at  last  aim  to 
speak  each  syllable  and  word  as  if  you  were  whispering 
a  great  secret  to  someone  across  the  room.  With  the  left 
hand  on  the  lower  abdomen  you  will  notice  only  a  very 
slight  movement  of  the  abdomen ;  so  slight  indeed  is  this 
motion,  that  it  seems  as  if  the  abdomen  were  at  rest. 
Notice  that  the  voice  seems  to  come  entirely  from  the 
head  and  that  it  sounds  higher  than  usual. 

2.  Singing:  Proceed  in  the  same  way  for  singing. 
There  must  be  only  the  slightest  motion  of  the  abdomen. 
The  tones  will  be  very  soft  and  clear.  The  voice  will 
seem  to  come  entirely  from  the  upper  pant  of  the  head 
and  the  throat  will  remain  free  and  open  when  this  exer- 
cise is  rightly  understood.  The  effect  will  be  flute-like. 

CRESCENDO  AND  DECRESCENDO 

To  swell  the  tone,  to  increase  from  soft  to  loud,  is 
accomplished  by  starting  the  tone  softly  in  the  head,  as 
for  a  clear  whisper.  No  motion  should  be  made  or  felt 
on  the  abdomen.  The  abdominal  muscles  should  be 
gradually  contracted  until  the  voice  has  reached  its 
greatest  strength. 

Example:  Rest  the  tip  of  the  tongue  against  the 
hard  palate,  just  back  of  the  upper  teeth,  and  whisper  a 
soft  ''S."  Gradually  let  the  abdominal  muscles  contract 
more  and  more,  but  without  making  any  great  physical 
effort.  This  gradual  contraction  of  the  abdominal 
muscles  increases  the  ''S"  sound  in  proportion  to  the 
contraction. 


LESSON  XXVI  17 

Start  again  as  before,  but  after  a  little,  very  sud- 
denly increase  the  contraction  in  the  abdomen  and  no- 
tice a  very  sharp,  sudden  hissing  sound. 

Now  start  a  singing  tone  very  softly;  increase  to  the 
utmost  and  hold  till  all  the  breath  is  consumed,  then 
stop  for  a  few  counts.  Repeat  on  other  notes. 

For  sudden  and  very  strong  accents,  start  the  tone 
softly  and  suddenly  let  the  abdominal  muscles  contract 
sharply.  You  will  then  get  a  very  strong  tone,  without 
any  apparent  effort. 

Never  let  your  strongest  tone  become  unmusical. 
Always  stop  at  the  point  where  the  voice  would  change 
into  a  shriek  or  yell. 

For  decrescendo  proceed  in  a  reverse  manner.  Start 
the  tone  with  abdominal  attack  and  gradually  relax  the 
abdomen  and  expect  to  feel  the  tone  in  the  head,  where 
it  gradually  diminishes  to  a  soft  but  clear  whisper.  In 
this  wise  very  beautiful  effects  can  be  attained.  These 
effects  are  rare  nowadays,  and  would  be  all  the  more 
appreciated  by  an  audience. 

Patient  study  and  good  taste  are  required  to  acquire 
mastery  over  these  beautiful  effects. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON 
LESSON  XXVI 

1.  Can  a  superior  voice  be  attained  by  any  special 
food  diet? 

2.  Why  do  people  get  ill? 

3.  What  is  the  object  of  eating  food? 

4.  Should  you  feel  any  great  physical  exertion  in 
uttering  strong  tones? 

5.  Can  you  control  the  abdominal  muscles? 

6.  Can  you  sing  or  speak  with  a  strong  voice? 

7.  Can  you  sing  or  speak  with  a  soft  voice?  , 

8.  Can  you  swell  and  diminish?  " 

9.  Is  your  throat  free  now? 

10.  Do  you  speak  or  sing  from  the  tongue?  ^oj 


LESSON  XXVII 

PERFECT  BREATHING 

Instructions  for  Developing  a  Correct  Method  of 
Breathing  for  Singers  and  Speakers 

The  success  which  has  followed  my  instructions  on 
voice  building  induced  mo  also  to  make  my  system  of 
breathing  available  to  those  who  have  taken  the  voice 
instructions,  and  to  others  who  desire  the  correct  sys- 
tem of  breathing. 

These  instructions  enable  everyone  to  obtain  a  per- 
fect method  of  breathing,  based  on  an  exact  scientific 
foundation.  By  following  them,  the  breathing  appa- 
ratus can  be  trained  and  perfected.  Weakness,  such 
as  short  breath,  gasping,  tenseness  of  the  abdomen, 
heart  palpitations,  fainting  spells,  nervousness,  lung 
troubles,  and,  according  to  the  testimony  of  prominent 
physicians,  even  some  forms  of  tumors  can  be  avoided. 

All  previous  methods  of  breathing  have  been  based 
more  or  less  on  opinions  and  suppositions.  They  have 
lacked  the  exact  scientific  foundation,  which  alone  can 
be  an  assured  guide  to  a  successful  system  of  study. 
Only  a  correct  analysis  of  the  parts  of  the  body,  its 
structure,  and  of  the  muscles  which  adjust  and  move 
the  parts,  can  lead  one  to  a  natural,  easy,  and  free  sys- 
tem of  breathing.  This  is  accomplished  through  the 
study  of  these  instructions  alone. 

Most  everyone  suffers  to  a  greater  or  less  degree 
from  the  abuse  and  misuse  of  the  breathing  organs, 
especially  the  singer  and  the  public  speaker.  To  them 
correct  breathing  is  of  the  utmost  value.  Those  who 
have  studied  the  ''Perfect  Voice"  system  can  now  add 


1 


2 


LESSON  XXVII 


to  it  a  perfect  system  of  breathing,  which  will  give 
them  greater  freedom,  greater  volume  of  tone,  and  most 
assuredly,  better  health  and  prolonged  life. 

General  Review  of  the  Latest  Discoveries  Regard- 
ing Breath.  The  Importance  of  Breath- 
Movement 

Among  the  lower  forms  of  life  (worms,  etc.)  we  find 
generally  that  a  diffusive  gas  exchange  through  the 
skin  is  sufficient  to  sustain  the  process  of  oxidation 
necessary  to  life.  Gradually,  with  the  rise  of  animal  life 
from  the  lowest  to  the  highest,  special  organs  are  pro- 
vided to  supply  the  necessary  process  of  oxidation,  and 
these  organs  are  supported  by  the  ability  to  passively  or 
actively  move  or  contract.  In  the  vertebrates  are  found 
pocket-like  tubes  which  are  called  lungs,  which  by 
rhythmical  expansion  and  contraction  favor  the  ex- 
change of  oxidation  and  ventilation. 

The  Physical  and  Anatomical  Basis  of 
Lung-Breath 

The  expansion  and  contraction  of  the  lungs  has 
been  compared  with  the  action  of  bellows.  It  is  ac- 
complished through  the  rhythmical  contraction  of 
striped,  voluntary  muscles,  but  with  the  support  of  an 
additional  weight,  similarly  as  it  is  done  with  bellows 
used  in  a  smithy  and  in  pipe  organs,  where  extra 
weights  have  been  provided  to  more  quickly  expel 
the  air  within  the  bellows.  In  the  human  being  this 
additional  support  is  provided  for  by  the  natural  elas- 
ticity of  the  lungs  firstly,  and  secondly  by  the  bones 
and  ribs  which  surround  the  lungs.  This  bony  struc- 
ture surrounding  the  lungs  is  called  the  thorax  or 
chest.  See  Figure  147. 

Because  both  the  lungs  and  the  chest  surrounding 
them  are  naturally  elastic,  an  expansion  of  the  lungs 


LESSON  XXVII 


3 


and  consequent  inrush  of  air  is  made  possible.  This 
expansion  of  the  lungs  is  possible  by  an  active  volun- 
tary effort,  followed  by  a  passive  involuntary  con- 
traction merely  through  the  elasticity  of  the  chest. 
But  a  passive  involuntary  inspiration  followed  by  an 


Fig.  147 


active  voluntary  expiration  is  also  possible.  Normally, 
active  inspiration  alternates. with  passive  expiration. 

In  the  activities  which  demand  both  an  enlarged 
breath  and  greater  rapidity  of  breathing,  such  as  is 
required  for  singing  and  for  public  speaking,  both  the 
inspiration  and  expiration  must  be  active  and  volun- 
tary, hence  consciously  trained  and  acquired. 


4 


LESSON  XXVII 


The  anatomical  mechanism  of  the  thorax  is  such 
that  the  elasticity  of  its  parts  are  called  into  action  by 
active  expansion  and  contraction.  In  the  upright  po- 
sition  of  man,  the  weight  of  the  thorax  opposes  the 
expansion,  but  favors  the  contraction.  The  twelve 
pairs  of  ribs  with  the  twelve  vertebraes  to  which  they 
are  attached  (the  first  pair,  however,  is  not  free),  and 
which  are  through  the  medium  of  cartilages  combined 
with  the  breast  bone,  are  in  such  a  position  that  they 
incline  downward  and  forward,  hence  the  expansion 
of  these  ribs  is  only  possible  through  the  contracting 
muscles,  and  when  this  contraction  ceases,  then  the 
weight  of  the  ribs  will  cause  a  passive  narrowing  or 
collapse  of  the  thorax. 

The  raising  and  lowering  of  the  ribs  is  similar  to 
the  movement  of  spokes  around  the  axle.  With  the 
exception  of  the  lowest  two  ribs,  all  are  connected 
with  the  breast  bone  directly  or  indirectly  by  means 
of  cartilaginous  continuations.  These  are  bent  in 
such  a  wise  that  in  raising  the  ribs  they  are  at  the 
same  time  projected  forward  also.  It  is  owing  to  the 
elasticity  of  these  cartilage  continuations  of  the  bony 
ribs  that  an  active  expansion  of  the  thorax  by  its  con- 
necting muscles  is  followed  by  a  passive  contraction 
and  consequent  narrowing,  or  that  a  passive  expan- 
sion can  be  followed  by  an  active  contraction.  But  the 
chest  cavity  is  enclosed  at  its  lower  extremity  by  an- 
other elastic  element,  the  diaphragm.  It  forms  a  mus- 
cular wall  between  the  chest  and  the  abdomen.  On 
expanding  the  thorax,  this  diaphragm  is  lowered 
and  thereby  adds  largely  to  the  space  needed  for 
inspiration. 

Within  this  enclosed  space  of  the  thorax  and  dia- 
phragm are  placed  the  two  lungs,  lying  close  against 
the  walls  and  following  passively  their  movements  of 
expansion  or  contraction. 


LESSON  XXVII 


5 


INSPIRATORY  MUSCLES 

The  normally  most  important  factor  of  active  in- 
spiration is  the  diaphragm.  At  every  inspiration  each 
one  of  the  muscular  fibres  of  the  diaphragm  is  con- 
tracted. Beside  the  diaphragm  there  are  a  number  of 
other  muscles  which  raise  and  expand  the  thorax. 

EXPIRATORY  MUSCLES 

The  basis  of  all  active  expiration,  such  as  is  used 
in  singing,  speaking,  coughing,  etc.,  is  formed  by  the 
abdominal  muscles.  These  muscles  pull  upon  the  ribs 
downward  and  thereby  narrow  or  contract  the  space 
of  the  thorax,  and  since  they  also  press  inward  upon 
the  abdomen,  they  push  indirectly  against  the  dia- 
phragm, so  that  it  will  strongly  incline  upward  and  add 
in  the  narrowing  of  the  thorax  and  consequent  expell- 
ing of  the  breath. 

INSPIRATION 
SINGING  AND  SPEAKING 

For  public  singing  and  speaking  an  additional  100 
to  150  cubic  inches  of  breath  has  to  be  provided  for,  in 
less  time  than  a  second,  unless  there  is  a  longer  rest 
between  the  phrases.  The  aim  must  be  to  obtain  the 
maximum  result  with  the  minimum  of  exertion.  The 
process  of  inspiration  should  be  instantaneous,  but  the 
process  of  expiration,  on  the  contrary,  should  be  spread 
over  considerable  time,  as  needed  for  longer  and 
shorter  phrases.  It  is  therefore  of  the  utmost  impor- 
tance to  know  how  to  inhale  with  the  utmost  ease  and 
with  the  least  possible  loss  of  time. 

So  that  the  student  may  understand  the  anatomical 
reasons  for  the  instructions  which  are  to  follow,  and  as 
a  proof  that  such  instruction  exactly  covers  the  physi- 
ological tendency  of  the  different  parts  of  the  organs, 


6 


LESSON  XXVII 


a  short  description  of  the  chest,  diaphragm,  lungs,  ab- 
domen, and  the  muscles  which  govern  these  parts,  will 
be  given. 

The  object  of  inspiration  is  to  create  a  larger  space 
for  the  expansion  of  the  lungs.  The  object  of  expira- 
tion is  to  contract  this  space  to  the  normal  size.  The 
lungs  are  allowed  a  greater  space  to  expand  in,  only 
by  those  muscles  which  can  expand  the  ribs.  This 
expansion  of  the  ribs  takes  place  mainly  through  the 
contraction  of  the  muscles  of  the  back. 

The  many  different  parts  of  the  skeleton  of  the 
body  are  connected  with  each  other  by  tendons  and 
muscles.  The  muscles  surround  the  bones  and  joints 
and  form  what  we  term  the  flesh  of  the  body.  The 
muscles  consist  of  a  contractile  substance.  The  con- 
traction is  caused  by  the  will  which  acts  through  the 
nerves  which  supply  the  muscles.  When  a  muscle  con- 
tracts, it  becomes  shorter  and  thicker.  When  the  con- 
traction ceases,  the  muscle  resumes  its  normal  shape. 
As  a  muscle  grows  out  of  one  bone  and  is  fastened  to 
another,  it  will  thereby  move  the  bones  toward  each 
other.  The  muscles  of  the  skeleton  belong  to  what 
is  termed  "striped"  muscles.  They  may  act  singly  or 
in  groups,  moving  only  one  part,  or  several  at  the 
same  instant.  The  muscles  of  the  skeleton  are  divided 
into  three  principal  groups,  those  of  the  body,  the 
head  and  the  extremities.  The  muscles  of  the  body 
again  are  divided  into  four  groups,  the  back,  the  chest, 
the  abdomen  and  the  throat. 

MUSCLES  DEPEND  UPON  ONE  ANOTHER 

The  illustration  shown  in  Fig.  148  deserves  a 
careful  inspection.  Starting  from  the  hip  bone  (7), 
muscles  are  seen  to  ascend  into  the  shoulder  blades 


LESSOM  XXVII 


7 


Fig.  148 

The  Complete  Breathing  Apparatus. 
Expanding  and  Contracting  Muscles. 


I  A  and  B.  Trapezius. 
1 .  Rhomboideus. 

3  Levator  scapula. 

4  Serratus  magnus. 

5  Pectoralis,  major  and  minor. 


6.  Lattissimus  dorsi. 

7.  Hip  bone. 

8.  Obliquus  externus. 

9  and  10.  Muscles  of  hips  and  legs 
11  A  and  B.  Spine. 


8 


LESSON  XXVII 


and  the  ribs.  Others  descend  from  the  head  into  the 
shoulders  and  from  there  downward  to  the  chest,  ribs, 
and  to  the  hips.  What  has  already  been  described  so 
carefully  in  the  previous  lessons,  that  is,  the  absolute 
dependence  of  one  set  of  muscles  upon  another  set, 
holds  good  for  the  breathing  apparatus  as  well.  As 
in  the  "Perfect  Voice"  so  also  in  ''Perfect  Breath."  It 
is  remarkable  that  there  is  so  little  displacement  of  the 
larger  parts,  the  chest,  back,  and  abdomen.  These 
parts  are  balanced  between  muscles  which  pull  upon 
them  both  ways,  up  and  down,  or  forward  and  back- 
ward, so  that  they  are  not  strained  away  from  other 
parts  or  crowded  against  them. 

CORRECT  BREATHING  EFFORTS  DO  NOT 
IMPLY  STRONG  SENSATIONS 

The  bodily  signs  of  correct  breathing  efforts,  as 
will  be  shown  later  on,  can  be  detected  by  the  eye  or 
felt  by  the  hand;  but  these  efforts  do  not  excite  any 
noticeable  sensations,  because  in  the  natural,  correct 
efforts,  the  different  sets  of  muscles  work  in  harmony 
with  each  other.  Any  effort  which  excites  strong 
sensation,  or  causes  a  strain,  is  false,  because  then 
some  set  of  muscles  are  opposed  by  another  set,  hence 
there  is  a  tug  of  war,  which  we  feel  as  a  strain.  Al- 
though strong  efforts  are  being  made,  yet  they  will 
not  be  felt  as  such  if  the  muscles  act  automatically, 
that  is,  if  they  are  not  interfered  with  by  other  oppos- 
ing muscles. 

In  order  that  the  lungs  may  expand  and  take  in  a 
larger  quantity  of  air,  it  is  necessary  that  additional 
space  must  be  provided  for  the  lungs'  expansion.  This 
can  only  be  done  by  the  muscles  which  expand  the 
ribs.   The  spine  in  the  back  and  the  breast  bone  in 


LESSON  XXVII 


9 


front  are  two  fixed  points;  firm  bones  to  which  the 
ribs  are  attached,  and  between  these  two  the  ribs 
rotate  or  pivot  on  their  joints  of  attachment.  The 
ribs  are  attached  to  the  vertebraes  of  the  spine  by 
these  joints  and  controlled  by  muscles  which  grow 
from  the  vertebraes  to  the  ribs,  so  that  when  a  muscle 
contracts,  it  must  necessarily  move  the  rib  to  which 
it  is  attached,  since,  as  was  mentioned,  the  vertebrae 
being  a  joint  of  the  spine,  remains  in  a  fixed,  firm 
position.  The  attachment  to  the  breast  bone  in  front 
is  formed  by  a  cartilage  continuation  of  the  rib  to  the 
breast  bone.  This  cartilage  forms  an  angle  which 
straightens  when  a  rib  is  being  moved  by  its  muscles, 
so  that  the  rib  moves  not  only  sidewise  but  also  a 
little  upward. 

The  main  point  to  be  remembered  is  the  fact  that 
only  the  ribs  can  be  moved,  and  not  as  is  sometimes 
taught,  the  whole  chest.  It  is  true  that  by  moving  the 
shoulder  blades  upward,  a  feeling  of  chest  lifting  is 
suggested.  However,  the  chest  is  not  thereby  raised. 
One  might  just  as  well  try  to  lift  oneself  by  the  shoe 
straps  as  try  to  raise  the  true  chest.  All  such  en- 
deavors cause  a  useless  strain,  and  defeat  the  object  for 
which  we  seek. 

If  the  extreme  ends  of  a  bird's  wing  were  firmly 
attached  to  an  opposite  point  of  the  joint  from  which 
the  wings  are  grown,  the  bird  could  flap  its  wings  out- 
ward and  upward.  Just  such  a  movement  is  made  by 
the  ribs,  and  no  other  is  naturally  possible. 

The  shoulder  blades  and  collar  bone  are  connected 
both  with  the  head  and  the  thorax  or  chest  by  mus- 
cles which  can  interfere  with  the  movement  of  the 
ribs.  If  the  shoulder  blades  are  raised,  the  expansion 
of  the  ribs  will  be  lessened  and  made  difficult;  if  they 


10 


LESSON  XXVII 


remain  raised  during  singing,  the  expiration  of  breath 
will  be  seriously  interfered  with  or  almost  impossible. 
Therefore,  the  shoulder  blades  must  remain  in  their 
natural  position  of  rest. 

The  three  principal  muscles  which  hold  the  shoulder 
blades  in  a  firm  position,  are: 

1.     The  Trapezius.    It  is  fastened  all  along  the 


Serrafa^  J^qnc/s 
or5hou/derB/adel, 


Fig.  150 


Fig.  149 


backbone  or  spine,  from  the  lowest  rib  of  the  back  of 
the  head,  thus  including  the  entire  neck. 

2.  The  Rhomboideus,  major  and  minor.  They  ex- 
tend from  the  lower  vertebra  of  the  neck  and  the 
four  or  five  upper  joints  of  the  back  to  the  shoulder 
blades. 

3.  The  Levator  scapula.  To  the  highest  joints 
of  the  neck  and  to  the  shoulder  blades  below. 

All  of  these  muscles  assist  in  the  act  of  inspiration, 
as  well  as  the  following  muscles  which  extend  from 
the  collar  bone  and  shoulder  blades  to  the  ribs: 

The  most  powerful  of  the  muscles  which  extend 
from  the  collar  bone  and  shoulder  blades  to  the  upper 


LESSON  XXVII 


11 


ribs  is  (4)  the  serratus  magnus.  From  the  lower  edge 
of  the  shoulder  blades,  this  muscle  stretches  forward 
and  downward  into  the  ribs  to  about  the  line  of  the 
vest  pockets.  On  its  way  from  the  shoulder  blades 
to  the  ribs,  it  splits  into  strips  or  serrations  (hence 
its  name).  When  the  shoulder  blades  are  held  fixed 
in  their  natural  position,  then  the  serratus  magnus 
muscle  can  pull  powerfully  upon  the  ribs  and  cause 
them  to  move  strongly  outward  and  upward.  See  also 
Fig.  149, 

5.  The  pectoralis  major  and  the  pectoralis  minor 
also  extend  from  the  collar  bone  and  shoulder  blades 
into  some  of  the  ribs,  and  can  thereby  aid  in  the  ex- 
pansion of  the  thorax.  See  also  Fig.  150. 

6.  The  lattissimus  dorsi  is  a  large  muscular  band, 
fastened  below  to  the  hip  bone  and  the  vertebraes  of 
the  spine.  It  is  attached  to  the  lower  ribs  and  extends 
upward  to  terminate  into  a  tendon  which  is  fastened 
to  the  inner  side  of  the  arm.  The  parts  of  this  muscle 
which  are  attached  to  the  lower  ribs  draw  those  ribs 
outward  and  upward  which  are  not  reached  by  the  ser- 
ratus magnus.  To  favor  this  action,  the  shoulder 
blades  and  the  collar  bone  must  also  remain  fixed. 

From  each  rib  extend  muscles  to  the  one  above  and 
below — these  are  called  the  intercostal  or  ''between- 
rib"  muscles.  See  Fig.  151.  There  are  two  sets,  one 
placed  on  the  outside,  the  external  intercostal;  the 
other  on  the  inside,  the  internal  intercostal.  Together 
they  line  the  whole  open  space  between  the  ribs  and 
form  a  perfectly  tight  inclosure  or  wall.  These  muscles 
draw  the  ribs  nearer  together.  They  act  both  as  in- 
spiratory and,  in  connection  with  the  abdominal  muscles, 
as  expiratory  muscles. 


12 


LESSON  XXVII 


Only  those  muscles  which  are  more  directly  in- 
spiratory have  been  given.  The  diaphragm,  which  is 
one  of  the  most  important  breathing  muscles,  will  be 
treated  in  another  part  of  these  lessons,  since  for  pub- 
lic singing  or  speaking,  its  real  office  is,  according  to 
the  most  recent  researches,  more  expiratory  than  in- 
spiratory. 

It  is  true  that  the  descending  of  the  dome  of  the 
diaphragm  somewhat  enlarges  the  cavity  of  the  chest 

Xfivatores  costarum. 


Fig.  151 


and  permits  the  lungs  to  spread  downward,  thereby 
assisting  the  inspiration.  But  the  enlargement  of  the 
chest's  circumference  by  the  outward  spreading  ribs  is 
so  much  larger  that  the  conclusion  is  arrived  at  that  the 
inhaling  of  breath  is  principally  due  to  the  rib  move- 
ments. 

Technical  as  this  first  part  of  the  explanations  may 
seem  to  be  to  the  student,  yet  it  is  necessary  to  a  better 


LESSON  XXVII 


13 


understanding  of  the  exercises  which  will  follow.  The 
student  is  requested  to  study  this  part  again  and  again. 

EXERCISES  FOR  LESION  XXVII 

RELAXED  POSITION  OF  THE  CHEST 

Preliminary  Exercise  to  Inspiration 

If  the  spine,  and  with  it  the  chest,  are  held  too 
straight,  all  the  muscles  are  held  tightly  contracted.  In 
this  position  an  expansion  of  the  ribs  becomes  extremely 
difficult,  as  the  following  will  show: 

(1)  Stand  in  an  exaggerated  upright  position,  with 
the  head  thrown  back  and  the  chest  expanded.  In  this 
straight,  unnatural  position,  take  all  the  possible  breath 
by  lifting  the  chest  and  notice  the  sensation  of  stretch- 
ing induced,  and  the  extent  to  which  the  abdomen  is 
flattened;  also  notice  the  degree  of  physical  effort  re- 
quired. This,  of  course,  is  a  wrong  position. 

(2)  This  time  let  the  upper  part  of  the  body  droop 
downward  and  slightly  forward,  hunching  downward 
like  a  lazy  schoolboy  (but  of  course  remain  standing). 
Now,  inhale  in  this  loose,  relaxed  position,  all  the  air 
you  can  comfortably  hold.  Notice  that  you  are  taking 
more  breath  than  before  and  also  that  the  lessened 
straining  and  stretching  is  very  apparent. 

(3)  Relax  the  upper  chest  as  before,  and  now  let  the 
arms  swing  forward  in  a  very  loose  manner,  so  that  the 
hands  touch.  Hold  this  loose,  drooping  position,  and 
observe  that  the  shoulder  blades  stand  out  prominently 
like  the  two  wings  of  a  folding  door.  Then  think  that 
you  will  suddenly  but  easily  close  this  door. 

In  the  effort  to  close  the  door  by  drawing  in  the 
shoulder  blades,  you  will  find  that  the  body  and  the 


14 


LESSON  XXVII 


head  are  drawn  up  into  a  perfectly  free  and  natural 
position.  Always  hold  this  freely  upright  position  by 
thinking  of  the  shoulder  blades  as  resting  deep  and 
loosely  down  in  the  back.  Do  not  now  care  especially 
about  the  breath;  breathe  only  as  usual,  but  continue 
this  third  exercise  a  little  every  day,  until  it  comes  with 
the  utmost  ease.  Its  value  will  appear  in  the  inhaling 
instructions  which  follow  in  the  next  lesson. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON 
LESSON  XXVII 

1.  What  element  of  the  air  is  necessary  to  sustain 
life? 

2.  What  is  the  object  of  breath  to  the  singer  or 
speaker? 

3.  Which  is  the  organ  of  breathing? 

4.  What  does  expansion  of  lungs  and  chest  accom- 
plish? 

5.  What  does  contraction  of  lungs  and  chest  accom- 
plish? 

6.  Are  strong  efforts  needed  for  breathing? 

7.  Should  the  chest  be  moved  for  inhaling? 

8.  Which  muscle  divides  the  chest  from  the  abdo- 
men? 

9.  Can  you  relax  the  chest? 
10.  Can  you  inhale  freely? 


LESSON  XXVIII 

PERFECT  BREATHING 

Inspiration — {Continued) 

MUSCLE  CONTROL  IN  GENERAL 

Students  of  voice  are  often  taught  to  keep  all  of  the 
chest  and  abdominal  muscles  entirely  relaxed  and  loose. 
Whole  systems  have  been  founded  on  this  rule,  but  of 
course  without  success.  It  must  be  evident  to  every 
intelligent  person  that  no  work  can  be  accomplished  by 
relaxed  muscles.  One  could  not  inhale  air,  for  instance, 
if  the  chest  expanding  muscles  remained  lax;  neither 
could  one  exhale,  if  the  muscles  which  compress  the 
chest  were  lax — that  is,  inactive.  The  reason  an  intoxi- 
cated person  cannot  control  himself  is  because  he  has 
lost  the  power  over  his  muscles.  They  have  become 
slack,  and  therefore  are  not  capable  of  performing 
their  functions  of  supporting  the  body  in  an  upright 
position. 

But  if  a  set  of  relaxed  muscles  can  perform  little  or 
no  work,  it  does  not  necessarily  follow  that  the  muscles 
should  be  stiff  or  hard  in  order  to  do  this  work.  Such  a 
condition  would  be  just  as  incorrect  as  the  other,  for 
stiff  muscles  cannot  perform  their  work  correctly  either. 

Many  singers  and  speakers,  in  fact,  almost  everyone, 
keep  the  breathing  muscles  too  tense.  This  is  especially 
a  common  fault  with  women,  hence  they  unconsciously 
utilize  considerably  less  air  than  men.  So  general  has 
this  fault  become,  that  it  has  been  accepted  as  a  natural 
condition  of  female  breathing.  Latest  researches,  how- 


2 


LESSON  XXVIII 


ever,  have  proven  that  aside  from  a  smaller  and  more 
graceful  form  in  women,  the  breathing  apparatus  is  ex- 
actly the  same  for  both  sexes  and  is  governed  by  identi- 
cal muscles  and  laws. 

Since  neither  the  laxed  or  the  stiff  muscles  can  do 
their  work,  another  way  must  exist.  This  other  way  is 
to  keep  the  muscles  "flexible." 

All  muscles  which  are  directly  or  indirectly  con- 
cerned in  breathing  are  connected  with  nerves.  The 
will  is  communicated  through  the  nerves  to  the  muscles 
and  stimulates  them  to  contraction.  Dr.  Foster  of  Lon- 
don, England,  describes  the  process  by  which  the  mus- 
cles contract  in  this  wise.  "One  must  think  of  the 
muscles  as  having  many  cells  which  lie  one  above  the 
other  in  rows,  like  grains  of  powder.  A  fibre  radiating 
from  the  central  battery  of  the  brain,  leads  to  each  of 
these  grains.  Through  an  impulse  of  the  will,  one  of 
these  grains  is  exploded.  The  muscle  contracts  instant- 
ly and  remains  contracted  until  a  grain  is  exploded  from 
the  negative  battery.  Then  instantly  the  muscle  springs 
back  into  its  natural  position.  When  the  cells  are  used 
up,  fatigue  appears.  During  the  required  time  of  recu- 
peration, the  tiny  bacilli  of  the  blood  remove  the  ashes 
and  build  up  new  cells." 

It  is  by  this  process  that  the  muscles  grow  stronger. 
If  one  tries  to  force  a  muscle,  it  fails  to  respond.  It 
seems  that  the  positive  and  negative  cells  neutralize 
each  other  so  that  no  contraction  is  possible. 

THE  LESSON  THE  ABOVE  TEACHES 

The  conclusions  which  the  attentive  student  cannot 
fail  to  draw  from  the  above  explanation  are  that  one  can 
only  gain  control  over  a  muscle  by  contracting  it  very 
quickly,  but  easily,  keeping  it  so  for  a  second  or  two  and 


LESSON  XXVIII 


3 


then  letting  it  relax,  and  continuing  this  process  until 
fatigue  appears.  With  patience  and  perseverance  the 
necessary  muscular  control  can  invariably  be  attained 
after  which  constant  practice  will  develop  the  muscle 
to  great  strength. 

EXPANSION  OF  THE  THORAX  OR  CHEST 

In  the  first  part  of  the  course,  it  was  explained  why 
the  chest  or  thorax  had  to  be  expanded.  There  are  two 
distinct  sets  of  muscles  which  move  the  thorax.  One  of 
these  sets  of  muscles  opens  the  thorax  and  widens  it, 
because  the  muscles  which  grow  from  the  spine  into  the 
ribs  pull  the  ribs  outward  and  upward.  As  long  as  one 
holds  these  ribs  expanded  no  breath  will  escape,  because 
there  is  then  no  pressure  inward  upon  the  lungs. 

The  second  set  of  muscles  will  bring  the  ribs  back  to 
their  natural  position.  When  they  contract  they  draw 
the  ribs  inward,  which  causes  a  pressure  upon  the  lungs, 
whereby  the  breath  is  forced  out.  The  first  of  these 
movements  is  "inspiratory,"  the  second,  "expiratory." 

Any  movement  which  occurs  outside  of  these  two 
movements  in  the  diaphragm  and  abdomen  should  be 
involuntary  and  only  when  the  diaphragm  and  abdomen 
automatically  or  involuntarily  move  with  the  voluntary 
expansion  and  contraction  of  the  ribs,  can  one  be  as- 
sured of  a  perfectly  free  and  easy  breathing. 

EXERCISES  ON  LESSON  XXVIII 

(1)  Sit  comfortably  and  easy,  allowing  the  entire 
upper  part  of  the  chest  to  droop  loosely,  flabbily  down- 
ward. The  position  would  suggest  a  sagging  of  the 
chest,  as  if  utterly  exhausted,  or  as  if  you  were  too  lazy 
to  hold  the  chest  straight.  Do  this  several  times  to  learn 
how  loosely  you  can  relax  the  entire  chest.  Also  learn  to 


4 


LESSON  XXVIII 


relax  instantly.  At  one  count  go  from  the  upright  chest 
position  into  the  loosely  hanging  relaxed  position. 

(2)  Now  remember,  that  the  ribs  are  attached  to 
the  spine,  therefore  they  move  from  the  spine,  like  a 
double  door  moving  on  its  hinges.  Think  or  will  sud- 
denly, but  loosely,  easily,  that  the  ribs  should  move  or 
open  outward  from  the  spine.  Hold  them  so  while  you 
mentally  count  ''one,"  "two,"  and  "three,"  at  three  let 
go,  when  the  ribs  with  the  entire  chest  will  resume  their 
natural  position,  expelling  automatically  whatever 
breath  there  is;  of  course,  hold  the  mouth  slightly  open. 

(3)  Place  your  hands  against  the  waist  line,  right 
and  left.  Expand  or  open  out  from  the  spine  and  notice 
that  you  feel  a  decided  outward  push  against  the  hands. 
Hold  while  counting  two  and  let  go.  The  hands  should 
feel  the  inward  closing  movements.  Remember,  all 
efforts  must  be  very  easy.  You  must  never  attempt  to 
force  any  large  movement;  whatever  is  easiest,  that  is 
right — no  more. 

(4)  Now  place  your  hands  so  that  the  finger  tips 
rest  against  the  small  of  the  back,  just  where  the  ribs 
are  attached  to  the  vertebrae.  Do  not  put  the  fingers 
against  the  unyielding  spine,  but  just  beside  it.  Sudden- 
ly but  loosely,  think  that  you  expand  or  open  outward 
in  the  back,  and  that  you  voluntarily  and  purposely 
push  with  that  part  of  the  ribs  against  the  finger  tips, 
pushing  them  also  backward  or  outward.  Notice,  if 
right,  that  you  feel  a  decided  swelling  against  the  fingers. 
Hold  for  two  counts.  At  "three"  let  go.  Repeat  six 
times  and  rest  a  few  minutes.  Then  go  over  the  first 
three  exercises  two  or  three  times,  then  again  to  the 
fourth.  After  you  have  made  sure  that  there  is  a  decid- 
ed, but  not  forced  swelling  in  the  back,  put  one  hand 
against  the  waist  line,  the  other  remaining  against  the 
back.  On  swelling  with  the  back,  notice  now  that  there 


LESSON  XXVIII 


5 


is  also  a  very  decided  outward  movement  in  the  front, 
as  your  hand  on  the  waist  will  prove. 

(5)  At  count  "one"  let  your  upper  chest  droop 
loosely  downward,  at  count  ''two"  expand  in  the  back 
and  ribs,  at  count  "three"  draw  in  the  back,  shoulder 
blades  and  ribs  or  rather,  let  them  cave  in,  as  it  were. 
Notice  casually  that  when  the  back  and  the  ribs  expand, 
a  great  deal  of  air  is  taken  in,  although  you  do  not 
especially  try  to  take  in  any  breath.  At  count  "three," 
when  you  let  go,  the  breath  escapes  with  a  rush.  Repeat 
this  exercise  two  or  three  times  a  day.  Keep  this  up  for 
a  week  or  two.  It  is  very  important  and  a  most  useful 
exercise.  Review  this  often  for  several  months,  until 
you  form  the  habit. 

INSPIRATION 

When  you  understand  fully  the  last  exercise  (but 
not  before),  proceed  with  the  following: 

(1)  Place  your  Hps  as  if  saying  "ooh,"  then  sud- 
denly relax  the  lips,  at  the  same  time  dropping  the  jaw 
loosely,  very  loosely.  Imagine  yourself  saying  "ah"  at 
the  same  time  as  you  drop  your  j aw  for  "ah . "  Thus  you 
will  be  saying  "ooh-ah." 

(2)  Relax  upper  body  and  expand  the  back,  at  the 
same  instant  whisper  the  "ooh,"  notice  that  you  have 
taken  in  very  much  breath  without  any  effort.  Hold 
this  position  while  you  mentally  count  "one,"  "two," 
and  at  the  "three,"  drop  the  jaw,  relax  the  back,  draw- 
ing in  the  shoulder  blades,  and  the  same  instant  breathe 
out  the  "ah,"  that  is: 

At  count  one:  Relax  upper  chest. 

At  count  two:  Expand  back  and  sound  "ooh"  or  it 
may  sound  "hooh." 

At  count  three:  Relax  back,  drop  jaw,  and  sound 
"ah"  (hooh-ah).  Notice  that  at  count  "two"  you  IN- 


6 


LESSON  XXVIII 


HALE  breath,  at  count  "three"  you  EXHALE  breath. 
During  the  exhalation  the  loosely  held  body  returns  to 
the  natural  upright  position.  After  some  practice  you 
should  be  able  to  take  a  deep  breath  in  a  half  second  with- 
out whispering  "ooh."  After  a  few  days  of  this  practice, 
try  to  read  short  sentences,  then  longer  ones,  without 
at  first  being  particularly  concerned  about  the  breath. 
Read,  however,  loudly  and  distinctly,  and  as  soon  as 
the  breath  is  used  up,  inhale  again  in  the  manner  de- 
scribed. At  first  a  new  breath  should  be  taken  after  each 
short  sentence.  You  will  soon  find  that  it  is  very  simple 
and  easy;  that  you  do  not  need  to  ''save  your  breath" 
as  some  advise.  This  deep  inhaling  should  be  practiced 
often,  but  not  long  at  a  time.  Reading  and  speaking 
while  correctly  inhaling  should  be  practiced  daily,  but 
it  is  too  soon  to  try  singing;  other  lessons  must  first  be 
mastered  by  the  singer. 

NERVOUSNESS  CAUSED  BY  BREATHING 
POORLY 

Many  persons,  especially  singers  and  speakers,  ex- 
perience a  nervous,  uneasy  feeling  of  weakness;  their 
chest  falls  or  sinks  together,  they  have  no  breath,  and 
they  feel  a  stuffy,  tight  sensation,  particularly  in  the 
stomach  region.  From  this  they  conclude  that  they 
have  a  weak  breath  and  that  this  causes  their  weak 
voice.  Really,  the  reverse  is  true.  One  breathes  badly 
because  one  speaks  badly.  When  the  muscles  of  the 
tongue,  which  control  the  vocal  chords,  are  too  weak, 
then  the  vocal  chords  cannot  close  the  air  tubes  enough 
to  prevent  the  escape  of  air.  Therefore,  all  those  whose 
voices  are  weak,  husky  or  thin,  should  by  all  means 
study  my  method,  which  will  enable  them  to  gain  not 
only  an  ordinary  good  voice,  but  an  unusually  fine  one, 
if  they  persevere. 


LESSON  XXVIII 


7 


Some  people  have  naturally  good  voices,  and  yet 
their  breathing,  and  consequently  their  speech,  is  poor. 
Heart  trouble,  lung  diseases,  and  even  tumors,  accord- 
ing to  Dr.  Nagel,  who  has  contributed  the  most  minute 
researches  pertaining  to  such  diseases,  may  be  caused 
by  poor  breathing. 

BREATH  RESISTANCE 

(1)  Seat  yourself  comfortably  and  with  your  hand- 
kerchief take  hold  of  your  nose  and  close  it  slightly, 
then  force  air  through  the  nose,  at  first  lightly,  and  then 
more  sharply.  Lay  your  other  hand  flat  upon  your 
stomach  at  the  waistline  and  blow  through  the  nose 
three  times,  pausing  a  second  or  so  between  each  blow- 
ing. Repeat  as  before,  lightly  at  first,  then  with  more 
strength. 

Now  observe  that  when  blowing  (of  course  using 
the  handkerchief),  the  stomach  jerks  a  little,  but  that 
it  does  not  move  either  outwardly  or  inwardly.  One 
feels  the  contraction  in  the  stomach,  just  as  if  one  were 
squeezing  a  heavy  rubber  ball  in  the  hand.  When 
blowing,  always  remember  that  it  is  this  slight  contrac- 
tion which  you  feel,  that  drives  the  breath  to  the  nose. 
Continue  this  exercise  until  you  have  learned  how 
little  motion  is  necessary.  Become  familiar  with  this 
motion. 

BREATH  WITH  SOUND 

(2)  After  you  have  mastered  the  above  exercise  and 
can  mentally  see  the  slight,  though  somewhat  sudden 
motion  of  the  outer  abdominal  muscle,  make  this  mo- 
tion intentionally  and  call  out  three  times  in  a  natural 
tone  '*ah."  Then,  also,  three  times,  "ha."  By  laying 
one  hand  over  the  stomach  and  the  other  upon  the  chest, 
you  will  observe  as  you  call  "ah"  or  "ha"  that  the  chest 


8 


LESSON  XXVIII 


also  moves  or  jerks  a  little.  These  jerks  indicate  that 
the  vocal  chords  were  closed.  If  they  had  not  been 
closed,  the  stomach  and  chest  would  have  sunk  deeply. 
This  exercise  should  for  the  present  be  made  only  a  few 
times  during  the  day,  the  purpose  of  it  being  to  teach 
you  the  functions  of  the  breathing  organs.  After  a  few 
days  you  should  attempt  to  speak  short  sentences;  later, 
longer  ones.  Study  the  following  reading  first;  later, 
select  anything  you  please — your  daily  paper,  etc. 

(3)  At  first  speak  the  sentences  in  a  hasty,  careless 
way,  then  with  the  second  or  third  repetition  try  to 
whisper  in  a  rather  high  pitch  and  if  neither  the  chest 
or  the  stomach  move  noticeably,  you  will  observe  that 
almost  no  breath  is  used.  If,  on  the  contrary,  there  is  a 
good  deal  of  motion,  you  must  endeavor  to  whisper  still 
higher,  much  as  if  you  were  trying  to  speak  in  the  head. 
Finally,  remember  that  only  the  slightest  motion  of 
the  stomach  is  necessary  to  bring  out  a  big,  full  tone. 

Therefore,  now  speak  the  sentence  as  if  you  were 
speaking  to  a  friend  across  the  street,  that  is,  in  a  raised 
tone  of  voice,  but  without  the  least  strain.  Do  that  at 
first  quickly  and  without  expression,  and  later  in  a  rhe- 
torical style. 

This  will  demonstrate  that  with  this  slight  motion 
of  the  stomach  one  can  speak  short  and  long  sentences 
loudly  and  without  strain. 

The  breathing  exercises  do  not  need  a  regular  rou- 
tine. The  main  thing  to  learn  is  to  let  the  chest  and 
stomach  muscles  do  their  work  naturally.  A  little 
attention  each  day  for  a  few  weeks  will  correct  your 
breathing.    Read : 

'T  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life;  he  that  beheveth 
in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live;  and  who- 
soever liveth  and  believeth  in  me  shall  never  die." 


LESSON  XXVIII  9 

"Adams  and  Jefferson."  Edward  Everett. 

"No,  fellow-citizens,  we  dismiss  not  Adams  and 
Jefferson  to  the  chambers  of  forge tfulness  and  death. 
What  we  admired,  and  prized,  and  venerated  in  them 
can  never  die;  nor  dying,  be  forgotten.  I  had  almost 
said  they  are  now  beginning  to  live — to  live  that  life  of 
unimpaired  influence,  of  unclouded  fame,  of  unmingled 
happiness,  for  which  their  talents  and  services  were  des- 
tined. They  were  of  the  select  few,  the  least  portion  of 
whose  Hfe  dwells  in  their  physical  existence;  whose 
hearts  have  watched  while  their  senses  slept;  whose 
souls  have  grown  up  into  a  higher  being;  whose  pleasure 
is  to  be  useful;  whose  wealth  is  an  unblemished  reputa- 
tion; who  respire  the  breath  of  honorable  fame;  who 
have  deHberately  and  consciously  put  what  is  called  life 
to  hazard,  that  they  may  live  in  the  hearts  of  those  who 
come  after.  Such  men  do  not,  can  not,  die. 

"To  be  cold,  and  motionless,  and  breathless;  to  feel 
not  and  speak  not :  this  is  not  the  end  of  existence  to  the 
men  who  have  breathed  their  spirits  into  the  institu- 
tions of  their  country;  who  have  stamped  their  charac- 
ters on  the  pillars  of  the  age;  who  have  poured  their 
heart's  blood  into  the  channels  of  the  public  prosperity. 
Tell  me,  ye  who  tread  the  sods  of  yon. sacred  height:  is 
Warren  dead?  Can  you  not  still  see  him,  not  pale  and 
prostrate,  the  blood  of  his  gallant  heart  pouring  out  of 
his  ghastly  wound,  but  moving  resplendent  over  the 
field  of  honor,  with  the  rose  of  heaven  upon  his  cheek, 
and  the  fire  of  liberty  in  his  eye? 

"Tell  me,  ye  who  make  your  pious  pilgrimage  to  the 
shades  of  Vernon :  is  Washington  indeed  shut  up  in  that 
cold  and  narrow  house?  That  which  made  these  men, 
and  men  like  these,  cannot  die.  The  hand  that  traced 
the  charter  of  independence  is,  indeed,  motionless;  the 
eloquent  lips  that  sustained  it  are  hushed ;  but  the  lofty 
spirits  that  conceived,  resolved,  matured,  maintained  it, 


10 


LESSON  XXVIII 


and  which  alone,  to  such  men,  "make  it  life  to  live," 

these  can  not  expire. 

"These  shall  resist  the  empire  of  decay, 
When  time  is  o'er,  and  worlds  have  passed  away. 
Cold  in  the  dust  the  perished  heart  may  lie, 
But  that  which  warmed  it  once  can  never  die." 

NOSE— INHALING 

In  the  ordinary,  daily  vocations  of  life,  it  is  best  to 
inhale  through  the  nose.  Also  during  the  longer  rests  in 
singing,  the  nose  breath  is  advisable,  though  for  short 
rests  the  mouth  must  necessarily  remain  open,  as  there 
is  not  time  sufficient  to  close  the  mouth,  inhale,  and  open 
the  mouth  again. 

For  public  speaking,  the  nose  inhaling  will  usually 
be  the  most  resorted  to.  Care  must  be  taken  not  to 
make  any  noise  in  inhaling,  because  this  would  not  only 
sound  badly,  but  if  there  is  any  noise,  it  proves  that  the 
air  passage  is  not  entirely  open  while  inhaling,  and  has 
to  be  forced. 

If  the  upper  chest  is  relaxed  at  the  instant  of  inhal- 
ing, and  especially  if  you  allow  the  head  to  bend,  to 
droop  very  slightly  forward  at  the  same  time,  and  in 
this  relaxed  state  suddenly  expand  the  lower  back  as 
taught,  no  sound  can  be  heard.  The  drooping  of  the 
head  and  chest  will,  after  a  little  practice,  be  so  slight 
that  it  would  be  merely  a  graceful  movement  and  so  add 
to  your  appearance  before  an  audience.  The  whole  effort 
of  inhaling  should  become  a  graceful,  sinuous  motion. 
Remember  always  that  the  muscles  do  not  move  more 
than  the  merest  fraction  of  an  inch,  therefore,  any  per- 
ceptible motion  is  likely  to  be  overdone.  Always  think 
of  opening  the  shoulder  blade  doors,  but  in  the  loosest, 
softest  manner.  Accustom  yourself  to  this  thought. 


LESSON  XXVIII 


11 


The  shoulder  blades  open  in  inhaling:  that  is,  they 
move  slightly  apart,  like  a  double  door,  and  close  again 
as  the  chest  resumes  its  natural  position,  thereby  ex- 
pelling the  breath. 

These  two  lessons  are,  of  course,  not  complete;  they 
are  to  teach  you  to  take  breath — to  inhale.  The  next 
lesson  will  teach  you  about  exhaling.  Only  when  inhal- 
ing and  exhaling  are  complete,  will  you  know  the  entire 
system  of  breathing. 

For  the  present,  do  only  as  best  you  can ;  you  are  far 
enough  advanced  now,  even  in  breathing,  to  give  you 
a  very  good  control  over  the  breath,  even  without  the 
exhaling  lessons. 

In  the  lessons  on  breathing,  as  in  the  many  lessons 
on  voice,  only  fragments  can  be  given  in  any  one  lesson 
at  one  time.  The  process  here,  as  in  the  voice,  is  step 
by  step,  so  have  patience  now  until  the  entire  breathing 
system  is  unfolded. 

Expiration  begins  with  the  next  lesson. 


1.  Should  chest  and  abdomen  be  entirely  relaxed 
for  breathing? 

2.  Should  chest  and  abdomen  be  contracted  or  stiff 
for  breathing? 

3.  What  is  the  correct  conditon  of  the  muscles  for 
breathing? 

4.  From  what  exact  point  is  the  chest  expanded? 

5.  Does  your  chest  expand  in  front  as  well  as  in  the 


6.  What  is  inspiration? 

7.  What  is  expiration? 

8.  Can  you  inhale  with  ease? 

9.  Is  your  throat  loose  when  inhaling? 
10.  Do  you  inhale  through  nose  or  mouth? 


EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON 
LESSON  XXVIII 


back? 


LESSON  XXIX 

PERFECT  BREATHING— (Continued) 
EXPIRATION 

It  must  be  clear  to  all  of  my  students  by  this  time 
that  it  was  necessary  to  go  somewhat  deeply  into  all 
the  subjects  related  to  voice.  Each  lesson  had  to  be 
preceded  by  a  ''theoretical  discussion"  in  order  to  show 
you  why  the  old  systems  of  haphazard,  unscientific,  hit- 
or-miss  ways  of  teaching  voice  culture,  have  failed. 

It  was  further  necessary  to  explain  that  a  really 
valuable  system  of  voice  can  only  be  established  upon 
facts.  Of  course  it  was  necessary  to  show  you  these 
facts,  hence  all  the  technical  discussions  in  physiology, 
physics,  vocal  mechanics,  etc. 

All  these  discussions  were  necessary;  first,  to  arouse 
your  interest,  and  second,  to  insure  your  confidence  in 
my  ability,  for  your  confidence  I  felt  was  absolutely 
necessary  to  assure  success.  The  exercises  which  will 
develop  your  voice  demand  of  you  great  patience  and 
perseverance,  and  this  I  felt  could  only  come  through 
a  firm  belief  in  my  method  and  confidence  in  my  ability 
and  conscientious  sincerity. 

It  would  have  been  easy  merely  to  give  you  my 
exercises  and  let  it  go  at  that,  leaving  the  responsibil- 
ity of  practice  to  you.  It  was  comparatively  easy 
merely  to  write  the  exercises.  My  study  and  experience 
enabled  me  to  state  them  without  undue  effort.  But  it 
is  quite  different  to  know  a  thing  yourself  and  to  ex- 
plain that  thing  to  others,  so  clearly  that  it  will  be  as 
plain  to  them  as  it  is  to  yourself.  Great  care,  exhaus- 

1 


2 


LESSON  XXIX 


tive  research,  and  self-restraint  must  be  exercised  to 
teach  any  subject  successfully.  This  is  even  more  dif- 
ficult with  the  subject  of  voice,  because  those  who 
formerly  studied  voice  without  success  were  naturally 
prejudiced  against  any  new  method.  Tho§e  who  had 
never  studied  voice  believed  the  subject  an  easy  one, 
requiring  only  certain  few  exercises,  instead  of  a  long 
continued  and  somewhat  arduous  course  of  study. 

The  fact  of  the  matter  is,  the  study  of  voice  is  a 
part  of  a  general  education,  because  so  many  subjects 
are  involved. 

If  the  human  body  were  an  inanimate  machine,  like 
a  watch  or  a  music  box,  it  would  be  easy  enough  to  re- 
place the  defective  parts  so  that  the  machine  would 
run  smoothly;  but  in  the  human  body  this  is  not  possi- 
ble, nor  can  you  go  to  a  physician  or  a  surgeon  and  ask 
him  to  do  the  repairing.  Quite  the  contrary,  you  must 
be  your  own  mechanic,  your  own  physician  and  sur- 
geon ;  there  is  no  other  way. 

To  make  it  possible  for  you  to  do  that  for  yourself 
which  no  one  else  can  do,  it  was  necessary  to  educate 
and  to  train  you  in  this  particular  line. 

In  the  lessons  on  breathing,  so  far  studied,  you  must 
now  see  why  in  former  lessons  I  gave  you  merely  gen- 
eral directions  in  regard  to  breathing.  I  had  to  pro- 
ceed in  a  systematic  way  and  could  not  interrupt  the 
lessons  to  explain  the  matter  of  breathing  scientifically 
exact  as  I  am  doing  now.  Nor  was  it  necessary  to 
break  into  the  former  lessons,  because,  important  as  is 
the  matter  of  breathing  in  itself,  yet  it  is  secondary. 
It  is  perfectly  possible  to  have  a  good  speaking  and 
singing  voice  in  spite  of  incorrect  breathing. 

I  am  well  aware  of  the  fact  that  this  is  a  schismatic 
statement,  entirely  opposed  to  many  teachers  who  be- 


LESSON  XXIX 


3 


lieve  and  teach  that  breath  control  is  the  most,  if  not 
the  all-important  factor  in  voice. 

I  cannot  claim  originality  for  this  statement.  The 
old  masters  also  placed  breathing  in  the  second  po- 
sition. Most  of  them  ignored  the  subject  entirely,  rely- 
ing on  the  fact  that  because  their  students  were  living 
they  also  had  sufficient  breath  to  support  life  and  hence 
voice. 

After  all  is  said  and  done  about  breathing,  the  fact 
remains  that  we  do  not  need  great  volumes  of  air,  but 
merely  a  sufficient  quantity  of  oxygen  to  support  life, 
to  help  the  process  of  combustion;  to  feed  the  fires 
needed  for  the  purpose  of  movement,  work,  and  repair. 
Even  in  singing,  a  great  volume  of  air  is  rather  a  hin- 
drance than  a  help.  The  fellow  who  can  blow  himself 
up  like  a  toad  is  merely  straining  his  chest  muscles  use- 
lessly. Personally,  I  would  undertake  to  out-distance 
any  one  of  the  breathing  specialists  in  either  talking  or 
walking,  and  I  would  merely  use  the  ordinary  breath- 
ing. 

By  taking  frequent  breaths  before  and  during  the 
contest,  I  would  store  up  more  oxygen  than  the  man 
who  expands  his  chest  like  a  balloon  every  time  he 
takes  a  breath.  Goliath  very  likely  could  have  defeated 
another  "beefy"  giant,  but  he  fell  before  the  little  Da- 
vid. Brute  force  cannot  stand  against  knowledge,  and 
knowledge  is  an  accumulation  of  many  seemingly  little 
things.  To  be  sure,  we  are  told  in  fairy  tales  that  the 
giants  were  grinding  their  own  corn  with  the  help  of 
windmills,  and  that  when  there  was  no  wind  they 
stopped  up  one  of  the  openings  of  the  nose  and  blew 
through  the  other,  thereby  turning  the  windmill,  but 
the  author  concludes  by  saying,  "If  you  don't  want  to 
believe  it  you  must  pay  a  dollar." 


4 


LESSON  XXIX 


Authors  and  teachers  of  the  sixteenth  and  seven- 
teenth centuries  taught  that  in  regard  to  breathing, 
the  flute  was  the  best  illustration.  Only  a  medium 
breath  should  be  used.  Only  for  more  intensive  ex- 
pression should  breath  be  forced,  just  as  a  player  on  the 
flute  will  use  greater  breath  pressure  to  increase  the 
tone  power  for  certain  passages. 

Rosettus  says:  "Lightly  and  without  anxiety 
should  the  breath  be  taken  during  pauses.  He  who 
understands  to  renew  the  breath  skillfully,  sings  with 
ease." 

Bovicelli  says:  "One  should  inhale  without  noise, 
so  as  not  to  affect  the  ear  of  the  listener.  There  are 
many  who  arouse  more  curiosity  with  their  breath 
than  with  their  voice.  They  take  too  much  breath, 
they  sing  too  long  on  one  breath,  and  at  the  last  they 
have  not  sufficient  strength  to  conclude  without  a 
^smacking'  sound." 

Cerone  says:  "It  is  not  good  when  singers  take  a 
breath  to  each  short  note,  like  a  nervous  horse  who 
shies  at  every  shadow." 

Caccini  says:  "The  breath  should  always  be  ready 
when  needed — it  should  be  used  sparingly." 

Donati  advises  to  open  the  mouth  only  half,  as  a 
means  of  good  breath  control. 

I  have  before  cited  Signore  Mancini,  who  is  looked 
upon  as  the  foremost  authority  of  the  old  Italian  meth- 
ods. I  shall  quote  what  he  says  in  the  "Art  of  Sing- 
ing," published  in  1777: 

"The  multitudes  believe  that  one  who  has  an  ele- 
vated chest  and  a  well  developed  thorax,  and  can  make 
lots  of  noise,  has  the  essentials  to  become  a  good  singer. 
The  strength  of  voice  depends,  it  is  true,  upon  the 
quantity  of  air  and  the  velocity  with  which  it  is  expelled 
from  the  lungs:  thus,  the  wider  the  chest  the  larger  the 


LESSON  XXIX  5 

'aspra  arteria'  and  the  larynx.  All  these  qualities 
combined  create  greater  strength  of  voice,  which  is 
produced  from  the  air  bursting  forth  from  the  cavity 
of  the  thorax. 

*'In  the  opinion  of  physiologists,  the  lungs  are  the 
instruments  which  aid  in  speaking  and  in  singing  with 
more  or  less  force,  according  to  the  degree  of  expansion 
of  the  lungs  and  chest,  and  their  ability  to  expel  the 
inhaled  air.  But,  then,  it  is  also  their  opinion  that  the 
lungs  are  not  the  real  organs  which  form  the  voice  in 
the  throat.  The  voice  forms  itself  in  the  mouth  by  the 
flux  created  by  the  air  in  passing  through  the  vocal 
organs  in  the  act  of  inspiration  and  expiration.  The 
air  from  the  lungs  acts  upon  the  larynx  in  singing,  just 
as  it  acts  upon  the  head  of  a  flute  that  is  leaned  to  the 
lips  for  playing. 

"The  lungs  are  not  the  actual  organs  of  the  voice; 
they  merely  furnish  the  fuel — the  air;  the  real  organs 
of  the  voice  are:  larynx,  glottis,  uvula,  tongue,  palate 
muscles,  arches,  hard  palate,  and  lips.  These  organs  are 
the  means  by  which  the  voice  is  given  its  diverse  mod- 
ulations, so  that  the  better  developed  they  are  the  more 
perfect,  strong,  and  clear  the  voice  will  be.  The  voice, 
so  to  speak,  suspends  itself  in  descending  from  the 
highest  to  the  lowest  tones,  and  runs  diverse  modula- 
tions according  to  the  varied  manner  in  which  the  air 
is  compressed  by  the  larynx. 

"In  speaking,  these  organs  are  quiet  at  intervals, 
but  when  used  for  singing  they  are  in  a  state  of  contin- 
ual action  and  excitement;  the  muscles  of  the  larynx 
carry  the  greatest  burden,  as  these  are  the  organs 
which  direct  the  voice.  These  muscles  contract  strong- 
ly in  the  higher  tones  and  relax  in  the  lower  ones." 

From  these  quotations  it  can  readily  be  seen  that 
the  old  masters  had  only  a  very  hazy  idea  about  breath - 


6 


LESSON  XXIX 


ing.  No  especial  system  was  established ;  each  teacher 
simply  followed  his  own  inclination. 

In  the  last  forty  or  fifty  years,  however,  many  sys- 
tems of  breathing  were  advocated,  some  of  them  being 
fairly  accurate,  but  none  of  them  so  far  as  has  come  to 
my  notice,  have  been  systematized  into  a  scientifically 
correct  and  practically  feasible  method. 

For  a  systematic  process  of  study,  the  division  of 
inhaling  and  exhaling  had  to  be  resorted  to.  In  the 
preceding  two  lessons  the  former  was  taught — now 
you  will  learn  the  more  important  step  of  exhaling. 

EXPIRATION 
THE  DIAPHRAGM 

In  the  introductory  remarks  in  the  lessons  on  Per- 
fect Breath,  it  was  said  that  the  normally  most  impor- 
tant factor  of  active  inspiration  is  the  diaphragm.  In 
normal  breathing,  as  we  go  about  our  business,  as  well 
as  for  ordinary  conversation  in  a  low,  quiet  pitch,  only 
a  little  breath  is  inhaled  and  that  inhalation  is  caused 
by  the  diaphragm  almost  entirely,  without  any  activity 
of  the  rib  expanding  muscles. 

The  dome  of  the  diaphragm  descends  and  thus  cre- 
ates a  vacuum  which  permits  the  lungs  to  expand 
(mostly  downward)  and  store  up  the  breath  which  has 
filled  the  vacuum. 

But  for  the  public  singer,  the  speaker,  and  for  all 
purposes  which  necessitate  more  than  the  normal 
breath,  for  running,  dancing,  etc.,  the  rib  expanding 
or  chest  enlarging  muscles  are  the  most  important, 
while  now  for  this  unusual,  extra  breath,  the  dia- 
phragm's principal  activity  is  expiration.  When  the 
diaphragm  descends,  its  action  is  inspiratory,  but  when 
it  ascends,  it  becomes  expiratory,  because  it  then  urges 


LESSON  XXIX 


7 


or  pushes  the  air  outward.  The  diaphragm  has,  there- 
fore, a  double  capacity. 

The  diaphragm  forms  a  partition  between  the  chest 
and  the  abdomen.  It  is  shaped  Hke  a  cupola  or  dome 
which  extends  far  upward  into  the  thorax  or  chest. 
It  is  attached  to  the  vertebrae,  the  ribs  and  the  lower 
part  of  the  breast  bone.  See  Fig.  152,  also  Fig.  147 
in  Lesson  XXVII. 

If  you  will  feel  the  place  where  the  lowest  rib  joins 
the  backbone  and  then  draw  the  hand  all  around  the 
lower  edge  of  the  ribs,  you  will  be  pressing  against 
the  lower  borders  of  the  diaphragm.  From  this  bor- 
der the  diaphragm  rises  on  each  side  inside  of  the  chest. 

If  the  fibres  of  the  diaphragm  contract  involun- 
tarily, the  central  position  will  necessarily  descend;  in 
this  case  the  free  ribs  will  be  drawn  inward,  unless  the 
ribs  are  otherwise  held  expanded  or  rigid;  in  sudden 
inspiration  as  in  violent  sobbing,  this  is  always  the 
case.  But  under  no  circumstances  can  the  diaphragm 
expand  the  ribs  as  is  sometimes  taught;  quite  the  re- 
verse is  true. 

The  diaphragm  may  be  compared  to  the  head  of  a 
drum,  which  is  the  sounding  part  or  skin,  and  the  ribs, 
the  wooden  hoops  which  stretch  the  skin. 

As  long  as  the  skin  on  the  drum  is  in  a  loose  state 
it  sags  downward,  but  when  the  hoops  to  which  the 
skin  is  fastened  are  being  tightened,  the  skin  is  being 
straightened  and  stretched  and  in  this  way  the  drum 
is  tuned  in  harmony  with  the  orchestra. 

Or,  a  lady's  fancywork  is  stretched  more  or  less 
tight  as  the  hoops  around  which  the  cloth  is  fastened 
are  made  tighter. 

In  a  similar  way  the  diaphragm  is  fastened  to  the 
ribs  of  the  chest,  and  the  more  these  ribs,  are  expanded 
so  much  more  is  the  diaphragm  straightened  and 


8 


LESSON  XXIX 


Fig.  152 

The  diaphragm  viewed  from  in  front,  showing  its  jagged  border  or  serrations, 
by  which  it  is  fastened  to  the  ribs. 

tightened.  To  the  contrary,  when  the  ribs  are  loosened 
they  resume  their  natural  closed  position,  then  the  dia- 
phragm is  also  loosened  and  resumes  its  dome  shape  in 
the  chest. 

The  diaphragm  is  pierced  by  three  tubes.  First,  the 
aorta,  which  conducts  the  blood  from  the  heart; 
second,  the  vena  cava,  which  leads  the  blood  to  the 
heart;  third,  the  aesophagus,  through  which  food  passes 
into  the  stomach.  The  vena  cava  passes  through  the 
diaphragm  near  the  spine  and  if  the  diaphragm  is 
voluntarily  contracted,  as  some  try  to  do,  it  prevents 
the  natural,  free  flow  of  blood  to  the  heart,  which 
causes  dizziness  and  sometimes  nausea.  From  all  this 
it  is  apparent  that  the  diaphragm  should  never  be  con- 
tracted voluntarily  or  by  direct  force. 


LESSON  XXIX 


9 


THE  NEED  OF  A  POWERFUL  COMPRESSION 

The  degree  of  pressure  of  the  air  in  the  lungs  and 
windpipe  against  the  under  side  of  the  vocal  chords  is 
controlled  by  the  ribs  and  the  diaphragm. 

According  to  the  measurements  of  French  scien- 
tists, the  breath  pressure  of  ordinary  expiration 
amounts  to  approximately  a  little  over  one  inch,  but 
when  a  tone  is  sung  between  A  in  the  second  space 
and  E  in  the  fourth  space,  the  pressure  suddenly  rises 
to  seven  or  eight  inches;  when  the  tone  is  sung  loudly, 
the  pressure  rises  to  over  three  feet,  and  for  high  tones, 
sung  fortissimo,  the  pressure  would  be  still  greater. 

It  was  explained  previously  that  the  vocal  chords 
can  be  reinforced — that  they  can  be  enlarged  by  the 
muscles  which  lie  close  to  them  and  that  the  more  the 
chords  are  enlarged  the  stronger  and  more  beautiful 
will  the  tone  be. 

Now,  a  powerful  breath  pressure  will  greatly  favor 
this  enlargement  of  the  vocal  chords.  The  augmented 
effort  brings  the  entire  vocal  organ  into  a  firmer  state, 
which  again  reinforces  the  vibrations,  and  of  course 
creates  additional  over-tones,  thereby  making  the  qual- 
ity of  the  tone  still  finer,  nobler,  and  sweeter. 

EXERCISES  TO  LESSON  XXIX 

COMPLETE  RELAXATION  OF  THE  EXPAND- 
ING MUSCLES 

In  the  early  part  of  this  course,  it  was  taught  why 
the  thorax  had  to  be  expanded,  and  the  principal  mus- 
cles with  which  this  is  done  were  described.  Now,  as 
long  as  the  thorax  is  thus  held  expanded,  no  breath  can 
escape  and  no  tone  can  be  produced  unless  it  is  forced. 
In  order  that  the  breath  can  be  used  for  the  formation 
of  tone  or  speech,  the  expanding  muscles  have  to  be 


10 


LESSON  XXIX 


relaxed.  Only  then  can  the  thorax  resume  its  normal 
shape. 

The  relaxation  of  these  expanding  muscles  must  be 
sudden,  free,  and  easy.  In  other  words,  the  entire 
thorax  must  seem  to  fall  together — to  collapse.  For 
the  singer,  this  complete  relaxation  of  the  expanding 
muscles  is  indispensable  in  gaining  the  gentle  attack  to 
begin  tones  and  phrases. 

(1)  Sit  in  a  straight  backed  chair,  so  far  back  that 
you  are  in  contact  with  the  back  of  the  chair.  Do  not 
take  an  extra  deep  breath — just  your  usual  breathing 
should  be  kept  up.  Mentally  picture,  think  of  the  low- 
est rib  in  front,  and  determine  that  this  lower  rib  sud- 
denly and  loosely  caves  in,  gives  way,  while  at  the  same 
time  you  breathe  out  a  '*ha"  breath,  or  rather  the 
caving  in  causes  this  ''ha"  breath.  Notice  that  the 
chest  has  sunken  inward,  that  you  feel  hollow  and  loose 
all  the  way  down  to  the  pit  of  the  stomach,  and,  lastly, 
that  your  lower  back  leans  stronger  than  before  against 
the  back  of  the  chair.  Of  course,  the  upper  chest 
droops  loosely  downward. 

(2)  Inhale  your  usual  breath  and  hold  it  while  you 
mentally  count  ''one"  "two."  Notice  that  now  you  feel 
conscious  of  holding  the  chest,  not  exactly  as  a  strain, 
but  as  a  little  exertion.  At  count  "three, "suddenly  cave 
in  from  the  lowest  rib  and  notice  a  feeling  of  relief — of 
comfortable  ease.  Of  course,  let  the  "ha"  breath  escape 
at  the  instant  of  collapse. 

(3)  Take  a  book  in  your  hand.  Hold  the  arm  with 
the  book  straight  before  you.  Notice  that  you  are  ex- 
erting your  own  will  and  thus  compel  the  muscles  to 
hold  the  arm.  Count  "one,"  "two;"  at  "three,"  sud- 
denly drop  the  arm  and  let  the  book  fall  out  of  your 
hand  in  complete  lassitude,  as  if  exhausted  by  the 
effort  of  holding  it.  Notice  the  feeling  of  utter  relaxa- 


LESSON  XXIX 


11 


tion  in  the  arm  after  you  have  done  this  illustrating 
exercise  ten  or  fifteen  times.  Try  to  gain  this  utter  re- 
laxation as  you  collapse  the  chest  with  the  "ha"  breath. 

(4)  As  was  taught  in  Lesson  XXVII,  expand  the 
thorax  or  chest.  Notice  that  now  you  have  added 
greatly  to  your  breath.  Hold  this  expanded  position 
while  you  mentally  count  ''one,"  "two,"  but  at  "three," 
collapse  completely,  loosely.  Now  notice  that  the  chest 
resumes  its  upright  position  and  that  the  back  leaves 
the  chair.  Prove  it  by  inserting  your  hand  between 
back  and  chair;  repeat  above  exercise.  Practice  this 
for  two  weeks,  several  times  a  day.  Make  a  regular 
routine  of  it.  At  count  "one"  expand;  at  count  "two" 
hold  still;  at  count  "three"  collapse.  Later  on  expand 
at  "one,"  collapse  at  "two."  Still  later,  count  each  da^^ 
a  little  more  between  expansion  and  collapse,  until  you 
can  count  twenty.  If  you  feel  a  strain  at  any  count, 
collapse  that  instant. 

(5)  Having  accustomed  yourself  to  this  collapse, 
sing  a  tune,  later  on  phrases,  or  speak  sentences.  At 
the  instant  of  collapse,  notice  that  gradually  you  can 
sing  longer  phrases  or  speak  longer  sentences,  before 
you  need  to  expand  or  take  in  new  breath;  also,  that 
the  singing  or  speaking  tones  are  full  and  strong,  and 
that  you  feel  free  of  any  constraint.  An  illustration 
will  make  this  still  more  clear: 

"'Tis  the  last — rose  of  summer, — left  blooming — alone ; 

All  her  lovely — companions, — are  faded — and  gone;" 

Let  the  singer  expand  for  a  new  breath  first  at  each 
dash,  later  only  after  each  comma.  Or,  sing  five  tones 
up,  expand  again  and  sing  five  tones  down.  Later  sing 
up  and  down  on  the  one  breath.  Collapse.  Still  later 
sing  an  entire  scale  up  and  down,  but  never  go  as  far 
as  to  feel  any  strain. 


12 


LESSON  XXIX 


Similarly  the  speaker  should  use  short  sentences  and 
gradually  longer  ones,  at  first  without  emphasis  or  ex- 
pression, but  later  speaking  with  great  emphasis  and 
earnestness.  Always  stop  before  a  straining  or  tight 
feeling,  which  is  caused  by  the  lack  of  breath;  the 
muscles  having  nothing  now  to  compress,  they  are  be- 
ing overstrained,  overworked,  hence  the  feeling  of  dis- 
comfort. 


EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON 

XXIX 

1.  What  is  inspiration?  [^^^^^^^ 

2.  What  is  expiration? 

3.  What  is  the  diaphragm? 

4.  Where  is  the  diaphragm  attached? 

5.  Is  the  diaphragm  used  both  for  inhaling  and  ex- 
haling? 

6.  Can  you  relax  the  expanding  muscles? 

7.  In  w^hat  way  is  the  blood  circulation  affected  by 
wrong  breathing? 

8.  How  long  each  day  do  you  practice  the  thumb 
under  the  tongue? 

9.  Do  you  feel  the  "beat"  of  the  tongue  against  the 
little  finger  distinctly  now? 

10.  Have  you  succeeded  with  ''Perfect  Breathing'* 
so  far? 


LESSON  XXX 


PERFECT  BREATHING— (Concluded) 
THE  BREATH,  THE  BEAT,  THE  SOUND 

A  great  many  teachers  and  most  people  who  have 
studied  something  about  breathing,  confound  breath- 
taking movements  with  breath-expelling  efforts.  Ad- 
vice for  the  former  is  often  appHed  for  the  latter;  it 
being  implied  that  the  chest  or  abdomen  should  be  held 
firmly  in  the  position  given  them  by  inspiratory  effort. 

Far  from  this,  the  rule  is  an  exactly  and  positively 
opposite  one  you  must  relax  all  inspiratory  muscles  at 
the  instant  that  breath  is  expelled  and  voice  begins. 

The  notion  that  there  is  a  contest  between  the  two 
sets  of  muscles  is  a  foolish  one.  Indeed,  the  downward 
and  inward  fall,  or  collapse  of  the  expanded  thorax,  is 
but  slight  after  proper  breath-taking;  this  even  assists 
'in  starting  the  tone.  That  the  collapse  can  give  no  un- 
pleasant shock,  even  in  mild  delivery,  may  be  proved  by 
filling  the  chest  full  of  breath  and  singing  ''ah"  at  the 
instant  of  collapse.  It  will  be  found  that  a  positive  and 
voluntary  expiratory  effort  must  be  added  to  secure 
quality  and  adequate  power. 

The  inspiratory  or  breath-taking  effort  must  be  sep- 
arated from  the  expiratory  or  breath-expelling  efforts. 
They  must  be  practiced  till  the  one  can  be  followed  by 
the  other  in  quick  succession. 

EXPIRATION 
THE  ABDOMINAL  MUSCLES 

The  expiration  of  the  chest  expanding  muscles  as 
taught  in  the  last  lesson  is  an  involuntary  effort  of 

1 

Printed  in  Chicago,  111.,  U.  S.  A. 


2  LESSON  XXX 

expiration.  To  it  must  be  added  a  voluntary  effort  for 
the  powerful  tones  demanded  in  public  speaking  or 
singing.  The  voluntary  effort  must  be  made  by  the 
abdominal  muscles  alone,  and  by  no  others. 

The  purpose  of  the  abdominal  muscle  is  simple,  be- 
cause its  principal  object  is  to  narrow  the  abdominal 
cavity.  But  several  of  these  muscles  also  assist  in  the 
movement  of  the  body  downward  or  sidewise,  and  espe- 
cially in  the  efforts  of  strong  expiration. 

The  muscles  of  the  abdomen  run  in  three  different 
directions:  downward,  across,  and  slanting.  They  sup- 
port the  viscera,  or  contents  of  the  body,  and  they  can 
act  upon  this  in  a  steady  compressing  effort.  See  Figs. 
153,  154,  and  155.  The  viscera  is  enclosed  by  these 
abdominal  muscles  in  front  and  on  the  sides,  and  by  the 
diaphragm  above. 

When  the  abdominal  muscles  contract,  they  push 
the  viscera  backward  toward  the  spine  and  upward 
against  the  diaphragm;  in  this  wise  the  diaphragm  is 
being  pushed  upward  against  the  lungs  and  assists  to 
expel  breath.  But  if  the  diaphragm  were  held  tight, 
then  the  viscera  could  not  push  it  upward  and  would 
itself  become  strained,  because  it  would  then  have  too 
little  room  to  spread.  Such  straining,  it  is  claimed,  is 
the  cause  of  many  internal  diseases.  Weak  and  relaxed 
abdominal  muscles  are  also  a  great  disease  contributing 
agent,  such  as  a  suspended  abdomen.  If  the  abdominal 
muscles  are  weak,  they  cannot  hold  the  viscera  in  place, 
in  consequence  of  which  the  abdominal  contents  hang 
downward.  For  these  reasons,  aside  from  the  beneficial 
results  in  the  voluntary  breathing  effort,  the  exercises 
which  follow  these  explanations  will  contribute  to  a 
'better  condition  of  health,  especially  for  older  people. 


LESSON  XXX  3 

In  Fig.  148,  the  ''Complete  Breathing  Apparatus," 
only  one  of  the  principal  abdominal  muscles  could  be 
given — the  obliquus  externus — but  the  student  can 
easily  picture  for  himself  how  the  other  muscles  are 
situated,  especially  with  the  help  of  the  Figs. .153  and  154. 

The  above-mentioned  obliquus  externus  starts  on 
each  side  of  the  abdomen  from  out  of  the  last  eight  ribs 
and  runs  to  the  hip  bone  below.  See  Fig.  153.  In  con- 


traction it  will  draw  its  curve  to  a  straight  line,  pushing 
inward  against  the  diaphragm;  at  the  same  time  it  will 
help  to  narrow  the  lower  chest  and  thus  assist  in  com- 
pressing the  lungs  to  expel  breath. 

The  obliquus  internus  lies  below  the  obliquus  e;x- 
ternus.    Its  fibres  cross  that  muscle  and  extend  in  a 


4 


LESSON  XXX 


fan-shape  into  the  last  three  ribs,  pulh'ng  these  down- 
ward and  somewhat  inward.  See  Fig.  154. 


Fig.  154 

The  transversaUs  abdominis  extends  straight  across 
the  abdomen,  not  slanting  as  do  the  two  preceding  mus- 
cles. It  is  the  deepest  of  all  the  abdominal  muscles.  It 
is  attached  to  the  six  last  ribs  in  front,  to  some  of  the 
vertebraes  in  the  back  and  to  the  hip  bone  below.  This 
muscle  will  draw^  the  w^hole  front  of  the  abdomen  in- 
ward, thereby  pushing  upward  against  the  diaphragm, 
and  inward  and  downward  against  the  ribs  to  which  it 
is  attached.  See  Fig.  155. 

There  are  several  minor  muscles,  which  assist  in  the 
abdominal  and  rib  movement,  but  those  given  are  the 


LESSON  XXX  5 

principal  agents  which  need  to  be  known,  as  the  control 
of  these  muscles  will  necessarily  involve  the  minor 
muscles  also. 


Lower  end  of  sternum 
(braast  bone) 


Cut  edge  of  the  obliquus 
abdominis  extemus. 


Transversalis  abdonriinis. 


■Upper  edge  of  hip-bone. 


Fig.  155 

View  of  the  Transversalis  Muscle 


GENERAL  SUMMARY 

Inspiration  for  ordinary  conversation  requires  only 
a  slight  expansion  of  the  lungs,  and  the  diaphragm 
contracts  very  little  and  gently. 

Inspiration  for  public  speaking  or  public  singing, 
concert  or  opera,  requires  an  extensive  expansion  of  the 
lungs  and  ribs. 

Expiration  for  ordinary  purposes  is  so  slight  that  it 
needs  no  special  attention. 

Expiration  for  public  use  requires  an  extensive  rib, 
diaphragm,  and  abdominal  movement,  to  compress  the 
lungs  sufficiently  to  set  the  enlarged  and  tense  vocal 
chords  into  vibration  without  any  seeming  effort;  that 
is,  the  entire  effort  must  become  automatic. 


6 


LESSON  XXX 


HIPS,  LEGS,  ETC. 

As  a  further  illustration  of  the  interdependence  of 
the  muscles  of  the  different  parts  of  the  body  to  one 
another,  the  student  is  requested  to  examine  Fig.  148, 
Nos.  9  and  10,  of  Perfect  Breath  Apparatus,  which  are 
some  of  the  muscles  connecting  the  hips  with  the  legs. 
From  the  legs  there  are  other  chains  of  muscles  to  the 
knee,  from  there  to  the  foot,  and  thence  to  the  toes.  All 
these  muscles  connect  in  some  form  with  one  another, 
so  that  if  one  muscle  is  injured,  that  injury  communi- 
cates itself  to  some  extent  all  through  the  chain  of  mus- 
cles of  which  the  injured  muscle  is  a  member. 

From  the  head  above  to  the  feet  below,  in  front, 
back,  and  the  sides  of  the  body,  run  continuous  chains 
of  muscles  which  must  work  in  unison  to  produce  that 
harmonious  working  of  the  body,  which  is  so  graceful, 
so  strong,  and  so  beautiful,  illustrating  in  our  body  the 
laws  of  God,  viz.:  Order — Nature,  Harmony — Love, 
Expression — the  Word  (Voice). 

In  the  "Perfect  Voice"  and  now  in  'Terfect  Breath- 
ing" two  systems  have  been  proven  and  taught,  which 
will  enable  one  to  be  in  perfect  harmony  with  Nature, 
on  these  subjects  at  least. 

EXERCISES  FOR  LESSON  XXX 
THE  ABDOMINAL  MUSCLES 

The  great  difficulty  in  learning  correct  breathing  is 
not  in  knowing  how  much  breath  to  take  or  how  to 
inhale  or  exhale,  but  to  obtain  a  sure  control  over  the 
important  abdominal  muscles  without  the  interference 
of  the  diaphragm,  rib,  or  chest  muscles.  It  is  true  that 
the  diaphragm  plays  an  important  part  in  exhaling,  but 
it  can  be  controlled  only  indirectly  through  the  abdomi- 
n  al  muscles.     For  all  tones,  for  the  strongest  and  high- 


LESSON  XXX 


7 


est  as  well  as  for  the  softest,  only  a  nominal  contraction 
of  the  abdominal  muscles  should  take  place,  assisted  by 
a  slight  sinking  of  the  lower  parts  of  the  back. 

(1)  Cough  a  few^  times,  then  cease  suddenly,  and 
you  will  observe  a  large  but  loose  forward  movement  of 
the  stomach.  Cough  again  and  observe  that  without 
wishing  it,  or  intending  to  cause  it,  the  lower  ribs  con- 
tract somewhat.  Now  place  your  hand  against  the  low- 
est part  of  the  abdomen  and  draw  that  part  loosely  and 
easily  inward. 

You  will  find  that  the  entire  adbomen  goes  with  it. 
Next,  simply  think  of  drawing  in  the  lowest  part  of 
the  abdomen  and  observe  that  the  chest  is  also  drawn 
in  slightly,  although  you  did  not  think  of  the  chest  at 
all.  You  see,  the  chest  motion  results  from  the  abdomi- 
nal motion. 

In  doing  this  exercise,  sit  comfortably,  leaning  light- 
ly against  the  back  of  the  chair.  Now  pause  a  few 
seconds  between  each  exercise  and  picture  to  yourself 
the  abdomen  as  an  empty  hollow  space  against  which 
the  muscles  suddenly  but  quite  loosely  contract.  Then 
shape  the  lips  for  a  soft  ''s"  or  "z"  and  repeat  the  exer- 
cise as  before  and  observe  that  the  *'s"  is  involuntarily 
heard  in  a  low,  soft  hiss. 

This  is  proof  that  your  abdominal  muscles  are  act- 
ing properly.  The  deeper  and  more  loosely  you  can 
move  the  abdomen,  the  softer  will  be  the  *'hiss"  sound. 

Notice  also  that  the  chest  feels  hollow  and  relaxed. 
You  must  learn  to  make  these  motions  a  little  faster 
each  day,  but  always  loosely.  Devote  about  five  min- 
utes to  the  exercise  and  repeat  several  times  a  day. 

(2)  Diaphragm  Isolated:  Hold  a  hand  against 
the  lower  abdomen  and  make  the  "s"  sound  suddenly 
but  softly,  this  time  without  the  least  abdominal  mo- 
tion. In  fact,  do  not  even  think  of  the  abdomen.  If 


8 


LESSON  XXX 


you  will  hold  the  upper  body  (the  chest)  quite  relaxed, 
you  will  experience  a  sinking  sensation  in  the  under 
portion  of  the  chest,  right  over  the  stomach,  as  though 
something  had  caved  in.  This  is  the  diaphragm. 

Now  hold  the  upper  body  quite  relaxed  and  make  a 
prolonged,  low,  soft,  breathy  ''s,"  and  observe  that  the 
entire  upper  body  sinks,  much  as  it  would  collapse  if 
you  sank  onto  a  chair  in  extreme  weariness.  In  this 
exercise  the  abdominal  muscles  were  excluded  as  much 
as  possible  and  only  the  diaphragm  isolated. 

(3)  Abdominal  Muscles  and  Diaphragm :  Move 
the  abdomen  twice  suddenly  but  loosely  backward,  as 
in  the  first  exercise  and  observe  that  when  made  loosely 
enough,  only  a  soft  ''s"  results.  Then,  as  the  second 
exercise,  aspirate  the  "s"  without  abdominal  motion 
and  with  the  upper  body  quite  relaxed.  Next  unite 
the  abdomen  and  diaphragm  exercises  by  suddenly 
and  loosely  drawing  in  the  abdomen  and  at  the  same 
time  expect  the  feeling  of  sinking  or  falHng  in  the  lower 
chest.  Hold  the  position  of  the  mouth  as  before,  and 
notice  that  now  you  have  a  sharp  hissing  ''ss."  This  is 
a  proof  that  all  the  breathing  muscles  have  contracted 
powerfully  and  without  the  least  strain.  Later,  when 
this  exercise  can  be  performed  with  ease,  instead  of  the 
"ss"call  out  ''ha,  ha,  ha,  hi,  hi,  hi."  Later  still,  read  or 
speak  aloud  short  sentences  and  observe  that  the  abdo- 
men and  chest  seem  loose,  that  the  breath  flows  easily 
and  suffices  for  long  sentences. 

These  exercises  must  be  practiced  until  they  become 
automatic.  From  time  to  time,  go  over  these  lessons 
and  again  review  all  the  exercises  given  to  see  if  you 
have  mastered  them. 


LESSON  XXX 


9 


THE  ABDOMINAL  MUSCLES 

(Continued) 

(1)  Place  both  hands  against  the  sides  of  the  lower 
chest.  Inhale  and  observe  that  the  chest  opens  and 
expands  outward  against  the  hands.  The  expansion  of 
the  chest  causes  the  inrush  of  air,  therefore  the  "inhaling 
process"  is  really  only  a  process  of  quickly,  loosely  ex- 
panding the  chest. 

Hold  the  chest  in  this  expanded  position  during  the 
following  exercise,  which  will  at  first  seem  a  little 
difficult. 

Very  gently  and  loosely  draw  the  lower  abdomen 
back.  Hold  it  so  for  a  moment,  then  relax,  slacken  it  so 
that  it  falls  back  into  its  natural  position.  In  doing  this 
exercise  you  will  observe  that  the  abdomen  narrows  a 
little  from  side  to  side  and  flattens  in  front.  Familiarize 
yourself  with  this  movement  and  then  observe  that  in 
the  drawing  in  and  slacking  of  the  abdomen,  the  sides 
of  the  chest  are  not  to  be  moved  at  all.  Place  your  hands 
against  the  sides  of  the  lower  chest,  draw  in  the  abdomen 
very,  very  loosely,  and  determine  that  the  chest  should 
not  move  in  the  least  when  you  draw  the  abdomen 
backward. 

This  is  the  important  part  of  this  exercise.  When 
you  can  thus  draw  and  relax  the  abdomen  without  mov- 
ing the  chest  you  have  completely  isolated  the  impor- 
tant abdominal  muscles  and  made  a  great  advance. 

ISOLATED  ABDOMEN 

(2)  Whisper  ''sh"  several  times.  Observe  the  posi- 
tion of  the  mouth  and  tongue  and  retain  the  position 
unconstrained.  Then  place  the  hands  on  the  sides  of 
the  chest,  as  instructed  above,  and  quite  gently  but 
quickly  draw  back  the  abdomen  and  involuntarily  a 
faint  "sh'*  will  be  heard.  During  this  exercise  the  chest 


10 


LESSON  XXX 


I 


and  sides  must  not  move  at  all.  The  greatest  movement 
of  the  abdominal  muscles  will  be  noticed  at  the  lower 
end.  Do  the  same  with  the  whistle.  Close  your  lips 
around  the  mouth  of  the  whistle.  Keep  your  throat 
free  and  make  a  sound  merely  by  the  loose  abdominal 
contraction  without  moving  the  ribs. 

ISOLATED  CHEST 

(3)  Sit  comfortably  with  the  back  resting  against 
the  chair.  Take  a  deep  breath.  Hold  it  for  a  moment 
and  then  whisper  "sh"  softly  and  observe  that  very 
little  breath  is  used.  Then  quickly  follow  the  "sh"  with 
"oo"  and  note  that  the  chest  sinks  at  once  and  that 
all  the  breath  is  used;  the  sound  is  like  "sh-oe." 

This  exercise  should  be  gone  through  many  times 
without  taking  notice  of  the  abdominal  muscles.  The 
student  is  to  observe  two  points  in  this  exercise.  First, 
that  in  the  ''sh"  a  resistance  is  formed  principally  by  the 
tongue,  which  lets  very  little  air  pass  out.  Second,  that 
in  the  transition  from  the  "sh"  to  the  "oo"  this  resist- 
ance disappears;  the  breath  escapes  quickly  and  the 
whole  chest  sinks.  Incidentally,  this  exercise  shows  that 
the  breath  is  easily  lost  where  it  meets  no  resistance. 

The  voice  student  must  now  see  that  if  he  loses  his 
breath  easily  it  is  because  his  vocal  chords  do  not  close 
the  air  passage  as  they  should.  He  should  not  aim  to 
hold  the  breath,  as  it  is  sometimes  but  erroneously 
taught,  but  he  must  see  to  it  that  the  vocal  chord- 
stretching  muscles  are  strong  enough  to  close  the  air 
passage  and  stretch  the  chords  automatically.  If  you 
try  to  hold  your  breath  you  will  invariably  force  the 
voice  and  get  into  the  habit  of  using  the  glottis  attack. 


LESSON  XXX  11/ 

TONE  WITH  ISOLATED  ABDOMINAL 
MUSCLES 

(4)  First,  clearly  understand  and  master  the  first 
exercise  in  this  lesson.  Then  place  the  hands  against  the 
sides  of  the  lower  chest.  Expand  the  chest  and  inhale. 
Hold  this  expanded  position  quietly  for  a  moment,  then 
whisper  "awh,"  "ah,"  "eeh,"  "oh,"  "ooh."  With  each 
vowel  draw  in  the  abdomen  quickly  but  gently,  as  in 
the  first  exercise.  Form  the  vowels  in  the  usual  way. 
Observe  the  position  of  the  tongue,  mouth,  and  teeth, 
made  by  each  vowel,  then  hold  each  position  exactly, 
one  at  a  time,  and  draw  the  abdomen  back.  In  doing 
this  you  will  reproduce  each  of  the  vowel  sounds  invol- 
untarily. During  this  exercise  the  chest  must  neither 
expand  nor  contract. 

The  vowels  must  be  quickly  forced  out  by  the  slight 
movement  of  the  abdomen ;  then  pause  a  moment  before 
the  next  vowel,  so  that  the  abdomen  may  relax.  During 
the  relaxation  a  little  breath  is  lost — noticeably  as  an 
aspirate,  therefore,  I  have  added  the  final  "h"  to  the 
vowels. 

After  systematically  and  quietly  practicing  the  above 
exercise,  follow  the  same  procedure,  but  now  speak,  or 
rather,  call  out  the  vowels  loudly,  but  never  scream 
them.  Almost  everyone  will  attain  a  considerably  bet- 
ter and  easier  tone  through  this  exercise.  Always  think 
of  the  breath  and  the  vocal  strength  as  resulting  from 
a  slight  contraction  of  the  abdominal  muscles.  Experi- 
ment also  with  whistle. 

PLEASE  OBSERVE 

That  the  isolation  of  the  abdominal  muscles  may 
cause  some  difficulty  at  first,  but  persist  in  a  little  daily 
exercise  until  you  have  mastered  it.  If  you  have  mas- 
tered the  previous  instructions  you  can  be  sure  of  mas- 


12 


LESSON  XXX 


tering  these.  By  isolating  the  abdominal  muscles  you 
will  get  the  tone  away  from  the  throat,  and  you  will  also 
learn  much  of  value  about  the  breathing  muscles.  Prac- 
tice this  isolating  exercise  often.  Even  after  you  have 
gained  control  of  these  muscles,  it  will  be  well  to  go 
through  these  exercises  again  once  or  twice  a  year  to 
make  sure  you  have  the  muscles  under  your  control. 

CHEST  AND  ABDOMEN  COMBINED 

(5)  Make  the  ''sh"  sound  by  suddenly  but  very 
loosely  moving  back  the  abdomen.  Do  thi§  several 
times  to  get  a  gentle,  soft  "sh"  sound.  Let  the  abdomen 
simply  flatten  backward  without  the  least  effort,  then 
do  the  same  thing  with  the  chest;  that  is,  first  expand, 
hold  a  second,  then  let  the  chest  contract  (sink)  simply 
because  you  let  go  of  the  expanding  muscles.  Notice 
that  you  can  make  the  "sh"  sound  also  with  the  chest 
alone.  Practice  this  chest  exercise  a  few  times,  then : 

(6)  Combine  the  two  movements  by  suddenly  and 
loosely  drawing  in  the  abdomen  and  at  the  same  instant 
expect  the  feeling  of  sinking  or  falling  in  the  lower  chest. 
Hold  the  position  of  the  mouth  as  before  and  notice  that 
you  now  have  a  sharp  hissing  ''hss,"  instead  of  the  soft 
"hs"  as  before.  This  is  a  proof  that  the  breathing  mus- 
cles have  contracted  powerfully  and  without  the  least 
strain.  Later,  when  you  can  perform  this  exercise  with 
ease,  instead  of  the  ''hss"  call  out  ''ha,  he,  ho,  hoo,  haw." 
Later  still,  read  or  speak  aloud  short  sentences  and  ob- 
serve that  the  abdomen  and  chest  seem  loose,  that  the 
breath  flows  easily  and  gradually  suflices  for  long  sen- 
tences and  for  the  most  intense  dramatic  requirements. 
This  breath  must  be  used  for  all  singing.  As  you  have 
studied  the  "Perfect  Voice"  observe  also  the  tongue 
beat. 


LESSON  XXX 


13 


THE  BELT 

With  this  lesson  you  are  furnished  with  the  "Belt" 
or  tape  measure.  Its  purpose  is  principally  in  assisting 
you  to  isolate  the  abdominal  and  chest  muscles. 

As  a  preliminary  exercise  fasten  the  belt  around  your 
waist,  between  the  lowest  or  first  rib  and  the  third.  Do 
not  close  the  belt  tightly,  but  just  enough  so  that  it  does 
not  interfere  with  your  natural,  easy  and  accustomed 
breathing.  Notice  the  number  or  size  of  the  closed  belt, 
or,  in  other  words,  your  "measurement."  After  this 
loosen  the  belt  and : 

(1)  Sitting  comfortably  in  a  chair  expand  the  chest. 
This  expansion  must  not  be  forced,  but  easy  and  loose. 
Gradually  it  should  be  made  quick  or  sudden.  Let  the 
upper  chest  drop  or  droop  loosely  downward,  when  you 
expand  outward,  like  a  lazy  school  boy  drooping  over 
his  bench.  Repeat  this  several  times  to  see  how  loosely 
and  how  suddenly  you  can  expand  or  open  out  the  lower 
chest,  that  is,  the  ribs,  and  notice  the  number  or  meas- 
urement on  the  belt  now. 

(2)  After  having  learned  to  expand,  hold  the  lower 
chest  in  this  expanded  position  and  close  the  belt  around 
it — remember  the  number. 

(3)  Now,  loosely,  but  quickly,  draw  in  the  lower 
abdomen,  but  without  moving  the  chest  in  the  least; 
that  is,  retain  the  chest  expansion  at  the  number.  The 
breath  will  naturally  escape,  usually  both  through  mouth 
and  nose.  Keep  mouth  slightly  open. 

This  is  sometimes  a  very  difficult  exercise,  but  it  will 
pay  you  to  master  it,  both  for  greater  ease  and  freedom 
in  breathing  and  for  larger  volume  in  voice. 

Besides  this,  your  entire  physical  being  will  be  large- 
ly benefited.  You  will  gain  freedom  and  buoyancy  from 
it.    It  will  relieve  strain  from  any  part  of  the  body. 


14 


LESSON  XXX 


Your  walking  will  be  freer  and  more  graceful;  you  will 
gain  confidence  in  approaching  others. 

(4)  After  you  have  learned  to  isolate  the  abdomen 
— that  is,  when  you  can  move  the  •  abdomen  without 
moving  the  expanded  chest — then  learn  the  combina- 
tion of  the  chest  with  abdomen  in  the  following  way : 

Repeat  twice,  drawing  in  the  abdomen,  while  chest 
is  extended.  The  third  time  let  go  of  the  chest  in  the 
loosest  possible  way,  at  the  same  instant  that  you  in- 
tend to  draw  in  the  abdomen,  notice  now  that  there  is 
a  large,  free  rush  of  air;  in  fact,  all  the  air  was  expelled 
now,  whereas  when  you  used  the  abdomen,  only  com- 
paratively little  air  was  expelled. 

You  see  the  abdominal  contraction,  when  the  chest 
is  held  expanded,  only  causes  the  diaphragm  to  push  up- 
ward; only  a  little  pressure  is  in  this  way  acting  upon 
the  lungs. 

But,  when  the  chest  collapses,  it  adds  its  own  weight 
in  compressing  the  lungs,  squeezing  them  from  all  sides, 
from  in  front,  the  back,  the  right  and  left  side,  and  the 
diaphragm  from  below  upward,  so  the  lungs  are  com- 
pelled to  give  up  nearly  all  the  air  within  them. 

TESTS 

The  following  three  tests  will  prove  and  explain  this 
even  better: 

(1)  Hold  the  chest  expanded  and  move  abdomen,  at 
the  same  time  make  the  sound  "sh,"  and  notice  that  this 
sound  is  soft  and  not  strong,  provided  you  have  made 
the  abdominal  movement  very  easy,  as  it  should  be,  and 
without  moving  chest. 

(2)  Now  pay  no  attention  to  the  abdomen.  First 
expand  the  chest  easily,  at  the  same  time  inhale.  Then 
collapse  the  chest  in  the  loosest,  easiest  way,  at  the  same 
time  make  the  sound  "sh,"  and  notice  that  the  chest 


LESSON  XXX 


15 


alone  also  makes  the  "sh"  sound  rather  softly,  though  a 
little  stronger,  than  the  same  sound  with  abdomen  alone. 

(3)  Now  make  the  "sh"  sound  at  the  instant  that 
you  collapse  the  chest  and  intend  to  draw  in  the  abdo- 
men. If  you  can  combine  the  two  in  the  easiest  possible 
way,  you  will  find  that  now  the  ''sh"  sound  is  very 
strong,  though  you  have  not  exerted  yourself  in  the  least. 

For  all  breathing  exercises  leave  the  mouth  slightly 
open. 

Observe  after  you  have  succeeded  with  the  iso- 
lation of  each  (the  abdomen  and  chest)  that  when  you 
use  the  combination,  the  chest  will  sink  quite  deeply, 
but  the  abdomen  will  hardly  move  at  all,  a  mere  little 
shrinking  is  all  that  you  will  notice  in  the  abdomen,  and 
this  is  right. 

Finally,  when  these  exercises  have  been  mastered 
separately,  and  after  you  have  learned  the  combination, 
the  breathing  will  become  automatic. 

When  you  sing  or  speak,  always  start  the  voice  by 
intending  to  let  the  chest  collapse ;  of  course,  now  it  will 
not  sink  deeply  as  in  the  exercises  where  you  merely  do 
the  breathing,  because  when  you  sing  or  speak,  the  vo- 
cal chords  are  closed  and  prevent  the  escape  of  breath. 
But,  the  intention  to  collapse  the  chest  will  relax  the 
\^  expanding  muscles  and  thus  give  the  contracting  mus- 
cles of  the  abdomen  and  diaphragm  especially,  the 
chance  to  contract. 

If  "you  would  not  relax  the  chest,  then  the  contract- 
ing muscles  would  have  no  chance  to  do  their  work. 
Also,  the  collapse  of  the  chest  very  greatly  assists  in 
starting  a  tone. 

There  is  a  contention  between  the  two  distinct  and 
different  parts,  the  vocal  organ  and  the  breathing 
organ;  through  the  friction  caused  by  these  two  parts, 
the  living  voice  is  created. 


16 


LESSON  XXX 


CONCLUSION 

Always  inhale  by  expanding  the  chest  as  taught  in 
the  earlier  parts  of  these  lessons.  Make  sure  that  you 
thoroughly  master  this. 

In  ordinary  conversation,  merely  think  the  chest  and 
abdomen  as  absolutely  loose  and  free.  For  dramatic 
efforts,  for  sudden  accented  phrases,  for  strongly  accent- 
ed singing  tones,  intend  to  draw  in  the  abdomen  at  pre- 
cisely the  instant  of  the  accent  or  at  the  starting  of  an 
especially  emphatic  sentence. 

For  especially  strong  and  high  tones  the  singer  may 
even  add  to  his  breath  support  by  an  effort  to  suddenly 
straighten  the  knees,  at  the  instant  of  tone.  This  effort 
prompts  the  powerful  leg  muscles  to  contract,  and  as 
these  are  attached  to  the  hips,  the  hips  will  be  strongly 
held  against  the  powerful  upward  contraction  (upward 
upon  the  hips,  downward  upon  the  ribs)  of  the  abdomi- 
nal muscles. 

Both  the  singer  and  the  speaker  should  aim  to  use 
only  the  tongue  and  the  lips.  Avoid  the  use  of  the  jaw. 
The  mouth  should  be  held  no  farther  apart  than  the 
space  of  the  thumb  placed  sidewise  between  the  teeth. 
If  you  put  the  tryhedron  (sent  with  your  first  lesson) 
between  your  teeth  and  teach  yourself  to  articulate 
strongly,  slowly,  and  distinctly,  with  your  teeth  apart, 
you  will  learn  the  use  of  the  tongue,  and  especially  your 
Hps,  without  the  tone-destroying  jaw  movements.  The 
saw- toothed  wooden  tr>^hedron  furnished  with  your  out- 
fit is  intended  just  for  this  purpose. 

Always  hold  your  body  at  an  easy  attitude,  just  as 
if  you  were  earnestly,  sincerely,  speaking  with  a  friend, 
whom  you  respect  highly,  but  at  the  same  time  feel  free 
and  easy;  of  course,  never  be  slouchy. 

If  you  carefully  observe  these  instructions  and  prac- 
tice each  exercise  until  you  have  mastered  it,  you  have 


LESSON  XXX 


17 


become  master  over  a  considerable  part  of  your  body, 
so  that  this  much  at  least  will  be  your  servant.  You 
should  then  be  a  better  speaker,  singer,  and  also  a 
sounder,  better  human  being. 

A  RESTATEMENT  OF  THE  MOST  ESSENTIAL 

LESSONS 

The  Lessons  I,  II,  VI,  XI,  and  XX,  are  indispen- 
sable to  any  student  of  voice. 

In  the  first  two  lessons  you  are  taught  the  groove; 
this  groove  effort  compels  the  hyo-glossi  muscles  to  con- 
tract. But  the  groove  alone  means  little — all  good  sing- 
ers and  speakers  have  that  automatically,  mostly  un- 
known to  themselves.  But  even  if  they  were  conscious 
of  the  value  of  the  groove,  it  would  not  assist  them  ma- 
terially to  develop  their  voices  further,  to  increase  the 
compass,  the  power  and  ease  of  the  voice. 

The  groove  can  be  made  with  the  assistance  of  either 
the  jaw  or  throat  muscles,  and  when  so  made,  the  groove 
is  of  no  advantage,  but  rather  the  opposite. 

Lesson  VI  taught  you  to  make  this  groove  without 
using  the  jaw  or  throat  muscles.  This  constitutes  the 
first  great  step  toward  the  development  of  voice. 

In  Lesson  XI  you  received  the  instruction  how 
to  apply  the  action  of  the  hyo-glossi  muscles  in  a  prac- 
tical way,  by  speaking  or  singing  entirely  with  the  all- 
important  action  of  the  tongue.  You  were  given  a  test 
which,  if  you  have  succeeded  in  mastering,  proved  to 
you  without  any  possibility  of  contradiction  that  when 
you  can  use  the  tongue  without  interference  of  either 
the  jaw  or  throat  muscles,  your  natural  voice  is  clear, 
strong,  free  and  easy.  You  have  the  physical  proof 
when  you  feel  the  ''beat"  or  sHght  pressure  of  the 
tongue  against  the  underlying  finger.    Every  word 


18 


LESSON  XXX 


spoken  and  every  tone  sung,  with  which  you  feel  the 
beat,  without  throat  or  jaw  interference,  is  good. 

However,  up  to  this  point  your  instructions  could  go 
no  farther  than  to  introduce  you  to  the  necessary  work 
and  to  give  you  the  needed  control  over  the  voice  con- 
trolling hyo-glossi  muscles.  You  were  merely  taught 
how  to  get  hold  of  and  how  to  use  that  which  Nature 
had  given  you  long  before  you  ever  heard  of  me  or  my 
method. 

If  you  have  followed  my  instructions  and  practiced 
speaking  with  the  Httle  finger  under  the  tongue  daily, 
those  of  you  having  any  speech  defects  should  be  almost 
entirely  cured.  All  that  you  had  to  do  was  to  acquire 
the  habit  of  speaking  with  the  tongue,  and  when  you 
so  speak,  you  cannot  stammer,  for  instance,  even  if 
you  w^anted  to  stammer. 

The  public  speaker  was,  with  the  eleventh  lesson, 
taught  the  exact  and  infallible  attack.  This  alone 
should  enable  him  to  speak  with  ease  and  comfort,  be- 
cause it  gave  him  the  control  of  all  the  voice  Nature 
had  given  him,  but  no  more. 

The  same  applies  to  the  singer.  The  isolated  control 
over  the  hyo-glossi  muscles  enables  the  singer  to  use  his 
natural  voice  to  the  greatest  advantage.  His  tones  are 
sweeter,  stronger,  and  freer,  when  this  exact  attack  is 
applied  than  it  could  be  otherwise.  Many,  very  many 
students  of  this  course  have  written  that  even  with 
those  few  lessons,  and  these  only  the  preliminary  les- 
sons, they  had  succeeded  in  public  appearance  as  sing- 
ers, whereas,  in  spite  of  years  of  previous  study  of  the 
old  methods,  they  had  failed. 

But  to  attain  the  royal  voice,  the  big  vocal  success, 
it  is  necessary  to  do  much  more  than  is  possible  with  the 
average  natural  voice,  and  this  can  be  attained  only 
when  these  hyo-glossi  muscles  are  made  enormously 


LESSON  XXX 


19 


strong.  To  train  and  strengthen  these  muscles  to  the 
uttermost,  Lesson  XX  was  given  you.  Practicing  a  con- 
traction of  these  muscles  against  the  resistance  of  the 
underlying  thumb  and  without  interference  of  jaw  or 
throat  muscles  will  give  you  that  strength.  As  it  was 
pointed  out  in  the  lessons,  this  exercise  must  be  prac- 
ticed very  much,  and  in  most  cases  for  a  long  period. 

If  your  tongue  muscles  are  naturally  very  weak, 
then,  of  course,  it  may  take  a  very  long  time  to  develop 
all  the  strength  needed.  If  the  muscles  are  naturally 
strong,  then  you  will  succeed  more  quickly. 

The  exercise  of  thumb  or  tongue  support  under 
the  tongue  is  the  final  and  only  exercise  which 
must  be  practiced  daily  until  you  are  absolutely  satis- 
fied with  your  voice.  Practice  it  all  you  can. 

The  lessons  and  exercises  outside  of  the  tongue  are 
secondary,  designed  to  gradually  give  you  a  complete 
survey  and  control  over  every  feature  connected  with 
the  voice.  Once  understood,  they  need  not  be  practiced 
any  longer. 

For  instance,  you  were  taught  the  glottis  attack  for 
low  tones,  and  the  palate  attack  for  high  tones  and  soft 
tones.  As  soon  as  you  are  sure  of  those  attacks,  you 
need  no  longer  practice  them,  for  there  is  no  develop- 
ment possible  or  needed.  When  you  once  know  these 
two  attacks,  you  can  apply  them  wherever  you  want  to ; 
no  further  practice  is  necessary.  Only  the  tongue  attack 
can  be  developed  and  should  be  developed. 

All  exercises  for  breathing  given  in  earlier  lessons 
should  be  dropped — they  were  merely  for  temporary 
use  and  to  gradually  familiarize  yourself  with  the 
breathing  part  of  your  body. 

All  the  lessons  of '"Perfect  Breathing"  must  be  mas- 
tered completely.  It  may  take  several  weeks  or  months 
to  do  that,  but  it  should  be  done.  After  you  have  mas- 


20 


LESSON  XXX 


tered  the  lessons  and  exercises  on  "Perfect  Breathing" 
you  can  go  no  further.  It  is  advisable  to  review  the 
lessons  on  breathing  every  now  and  then,  but  it  does 
not  necessitate  much  practice  after  it  is  once  under- 
stood and  under  your  control. 

So,  finally  and  for  the  last  time,  keep  up  the  prac- 
tice of  strengthening  the  hyo-glossi  muscles ;  do  not  be 
afraid  to  overwork  the  tongue,  if  you  eliminate  the  jaw 
and  throat  muscles.  No  amount  of  tongue  practice  can 
harm  you. 

A  little  daily  practice  of  reading,  counting,  or  speak- 
ing aloud,  with  little  finger  under  the  tongue,  will  be  of 
great  value  to  the  singer  as  well  as  to  the  speaker;  and 
of  course,  as  often  mentioned,  this  is  absolutely,  once 
and  for  all,  necessary  for  those  with  defective  voices 
of  any  kind. 

This  lesson  finishes  the  course  in  voice  training,  but 
it  does  not  mean  that  I  shall  no  longer  advise  you.  To 
the  contrary,  I  want  you  to  remember  that  I  shall  be 
glad  to  hear  from  you,  and  especially  that  I  am  always 
ready  and  willing  to  assist  and  advise  you. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XXX 

1.  Which  part  of  the  body  must  act  involuntarily 
for  expiration? 

2.  Which  part  of  the  body  must  act  voluntarily 
for  expiration? 

.  3.  Do  you  realize  the  muscular  chain  which  is  em- 
ployed, both  for  inhaling  and  exhaling? 

4.  Which  is  the  principal  part  used  for  inhaling? 

5.  Which  is  the  principal  part  used  for  exhaling? 

6.  Can  you  isolate  the  abdomen? 

7.  Can  you  isolate  the  chest? 

8.  Can  you  realize  the  combination  of  using  abdo- 
men and  chest  measure? 


LESSON  XXX 


21 


9.  What  is  your  natural  belt  measure? 

10.  What  is  your  measure  after  you  have  inhaled? 

11.  What  is  your  success  in  speaking  with  the 
tongue  and  breath? 

12.  What  is  your  success  in  singing  with  the  tongue 
and  breath? 

•  13.  Are  you  willing  to  develop  the  tongue  strength? 

14.  Is  there  any  part  of  the  course  which  you  do  not 
understand?  If  so,  what  part? 

15.  Will  you  let  me  know  from  time  to  time  of  your 
progress? 


IE 


A  MANUAL 

FOR  THE 


Study  of  the  Human  Voice 

EXERCISES  AND  PRACTICES 


FOR 


Singing 
Speddng 


PERFECT  VOICE  INSTITUTE 


CHICAGO 


ILLINOIS 


LESSON  XI 


PHYSIOLOGY  OF  THE  VOCAL  ORGAN 

{Continued) 

ARTERIES  AND  NERVES 

It  may  seem  superfluous  to  the  voice  student  to  be 
asked  to  bother  about  the  arteries  and  nerves  of  the 
vocal  organ,  especially  after  he  has  been  made  to 
digest  a  rather  complicated  description  of  the  ana- 
toniical  structure  of  this  organ.  But  merely  mechan- 
ical things  are,  after  all,  useless  unless  there  is  a  guiding 
and  driving  force  behind  them.  Just  as  merely  will 
power,  merely  intelligence  and  merely  culture  are  of 
themselves  helpless,  even  useless,  so  is  mechanism, 
even  of  the  most  perfect  kind,  helpless  and  useless  by 
itself.  But  the  mind,  intelligence  and  culture  should 
work  together  in  absolute  harmony  and  union.  They 
then  become  invaluable. 

i  The  blood  and  the  nerves  supply  the  driving  and 
motive  power  of  the  human  mechanism.  Some  knowl- 
edge of  blood  circulation  and  nerve  supply  will  help 
to  explain  the  complete  action  of  the  vocal  organ  and 
the  lessons  on  the  breathing  organ  which  are  to  follow. 
The  seeker  after  complete  truth  will  also  find  in  the 
description  of  blood  circulation  and  nerve  supply 
additional  proof  of  the  absolutely  unqualified  correct- 
ness of  my  method.  He  will  therefore  work  with 
greater  zest,  courage  and  confidence.  He  will  see  that 
he  stands  on  the  solid,  unassailable  ground  of  fact. 
The  theory  must  prove  that  it  is  also  the  fact. 

A  short  time  before  the  outbreak  of  the  war  T  was 
present  at  the  launching  of  one  of  the  mightiest  ocean 
steamships — perhaps  the  most  monumental  under- 
taking of  this  description  in  the  history  of  the  entire 

1 

©  Printed  in  Chicago,  111.,  U.  S.  A 


2 


LESSON  XI 


world.  The  mighty  ship  glided  smoothly,  gracefully 
down  the  slips  and  soon  proceeded  under  her  own 
steam.  Consider  that  it  took  perhaps  years  to  con- 
struct such  a  ship  and  yet  there  was  never  any  trial 
on  water.  This  ship,  as  all  others,  was  constructed 
by  theory — first  in  the  brains  of  her  builders,  then  the 
plans  were  worked  out  on  paper  and  so  on.  If  the 
theory  was  correct  the  ship  would  float,  if  not,  then 
there  was  some  fault,  some  mistake  in  the  theory.  It 
would  be  utterly  impossible  to  build  a  factory,  a 
locomotive  or  even  a  fair-sized  dwelling  without  plans — 
that  is,  without  a  theory. 

I  am  taking  great  pains  to  explain  my  theory.  I 
have  prepared  myself  for  just  this  work,  have  devel- 
oped the  theory  and  tested  it  for  many  years  by  put- 
ting it  to  actual  work  and  obtaining  wonderful  results. 

Of  course  work  is  needed  and  in  some  cases  long 
continued  work.  To  encourage  you  to  work  I  am 
proving  my  theory  to  you,  so  that  you  will  make  it 
your  own  and,  when  you  do  that,  I  am  convinced 
that  you  will  be  contented  to  work  and,  if  need  be, 
to  wait  for  the  coming  of  the  great  success  that  is 
sure  to  follow.  Try  to  follow  my  theory.  Try  to 
understand  and  master  it.  You  have  no  idea  how 
much  humanity  needs  just  this  method.  You  can 
help  not  only  yourself  but  many  friends.  You  can 
help  to  make  clear  what  has  been  misunderstood  for 
centuries. 

THE  HEART 

The  blood  circulates  through  tubes  (arteries  or 
veins)  which  grow  out  of  the  heart  and  spread  through 
the  body  in  all  directions.  Through  these  tubes  the 
blood  again  returns  to  the  heart,  to  be  once  more 


LESSON  XI 


3 


pumped  or  forced  back  into  the  veins  and  arteries.  In 
this  circle  of  arteries  the  lungs  are  included.  They 
are  the  organs  which  purify  the  blood  as  it  comes  in 
contact  with  the  inhaled  air  (oxygen). 


Fig.  71 
Heart.    Front  View 


Fig.  72 
Heart.    Rear  View 


Figs.  71  and  72  show  both  front  and  rear  views  of 
the  heart  in  its  natural  position.    The  heart  is  a  pear- 


4 


LESSON  XI 


shaped  organ,  composed  mainly  of  muscles.  It  is 
divided  into  two  main  sections;  the  right-hand  section 
is  called  the  heart  of  the  lungs,  the  left-hand  section, 
the  heart  of  the  body.  Each  of  these  is  again  divided 
into  a  vestibule  and  chamber. 

The  heart  lies  within  the  chest  above  the  diaphragm 
and  between  the  lungs.  In  front  it  rests  against  the 
chest;  in  the  rear  it  is  separated  from  the  spine  by  the 
foodpipe  and  the  aorta  (the  main  blood  vessel). 

THE  ARTERIES 

As  there  are  two  main  divisions  of  the  heart,  so 
are  there  two  main  systems  of  arteries;  one  is  the 


Fig.  73 

Arteiies  of  the  Throat 
L.    Lingual  Artery 


LESSON  XI 


5 


system  of  "heart-to-lung"  arteries,  the  other,  "heart- 
to  body."  These  arteries  are  again  divided  into  many 
smaller  arteries  branching  into  every  part  of  the  body. 
The  artery  which  most  concerns  the  speaker  and 
singer  is  the  "carotis  externus"  which  supplies  the 
head  and  face  with  the  necessary  blood  circulation. 
This  artery  again  is  divided  into  many  branches  run- 
ning to  the  muscles  of  the  throat — the  pharynx,  palate 
and  tongue. 

In  Fig.  73  the  branch  artery  marked  "L"  (lingualis) 
_  runs  directly  into  the  hyo-glossi  muscle,  showing 
again  the  emphasis  which  Nature  has  placed  upon  the 
importance  of  this  muscle,  by  giving  it  a  direct  and 
large  arterial  supply. 

The  other  arteries  of  importance  to  the  vocalist 
are  those  which  supply  the  chewing  muscles,  those 
strong,  powerful  muscles  on  either  side  of  the  jaw 
which  are  clearly  shown  in  Fig.  74.    They  are  marked 


Fig.  74 
Ear  and  Jaw  Arteries 


6 


LESSON  XI 


"mi,"  maxillaris  interna.  The  tympanic,  or  hearing 
arteries  "t,"  are  also  plainly  shown. 

A  general  view  of  the  arteries  of  the  chest,  or 
"thorax,"  is  given  in  Fig.  75.  Although  this  belongs 
really  to  the  lessons  devoted  to  breathing,  it  is  given 
here  to  show  the  continuity  of  the  circulation  of  the 
blood  through  the  entire  body.  The  principal  artery, 
marked  "A,"  is  called  the  aorta.  The  intestines, 
heart  and  lungs  lie  partly  in  front  of  and  touching  this 
principal  artery.    Therefore  many  vocalists  who  force 


Fig.  75 
Arteries  of  the  Thorax 


LESSON  XI 


Complete  System  of  Blood  Circulation 


8  LESSON  XI 

the  voice  or  breathe  in  a  forced,  artificial  manner  are 
sometimes  overcome  with  dizziness  and  even  fainting 
spells.  When  the  chest  and  the  abdominal  muscles 
are  violently  or  unnaturally  contracted,  they  force  the 
internal  parts  of  the  abdomen  and  chest  inward  upon 
the  aorta  vein  and  thus  impede  or  make  difficult  the 
free  circulation  of  the  blood.  Of  course  there  is  at 
once  a  great  disturbance  which  is  registered  in  the  brain 
and  causes  dizziness  and  even  fainting. 

Fig.  76  will  give  you  a  very  good  idea  of  the  com- 
plete system  of  blood  circulation  over  the  entire  body. 
At  "AA"  the  great  aorta  artery  divides;  parts  ascend- 
ing to  the  throat  and  head,  other  parts  descending  into 
the  abdomen,  arms  and  legs.  The  arteries  marked 
"cc,"  "ci,"  and  "ce"  are  the  "carotis,"  "external" 
and  "internal"  already  mentioned. 

The  external  carotis  artery  supplies  the  face  and 
head,  with  the  exception  of  the  brain  and  the  eyes; 
these  are  supplied  by  the  internal  carotis.  The  carotis 
externus  supplies  the  thyroid,  tongue  and  lingual 
muscles;  also  the  teeth  and  the  regions  of  the  pharynx. 

The  internal  carotis  artery,  as  was  said,  supplies 
the  brain  and  the  eyes  with  the  necessary  blood. 

EXERCISES  FOR  LESSON  XI 

With  this  exercise  you  are  introduced  to  the  most 
valuable  parts  of  all  the  lessons  so  far  sent  you,  that  is, 
the  infallible  correct  "attack."  By  this  is  meant  the 
initial  starting  of  a  tone,  whethfT  for  speaking  or  sing- 
ing. Many  otherwise  good  vocalists  start  a  tone  with 
a  sort  of  grating  or  barking  sound;  others  start  the 
tone  in  a  breathy,  faint  and  uncertain  manner.  The 
attack,  or  starting  of  a  tone,  is  really  the  most  im- 
portant part  of  all  voice  study,  for  upon  the  initial 


LESSON  XI 


9 


start  depends  the  clearness,  the  strength  and  quaHty 
of  the  voice. 

Perhaps  some  of  you  have  studied  piano,  vioHn  or 
some  other  musical  instrument.  If  so,  you  will 
remember  that  the  most  important  part  of  your  in- 
structions were  to  be  sure  to  always  get  the  best  tone 
possible.  Now  the  best  tone  can  only  be  obtained 
under  right  physical  conditions.  If  too  much  force 
is  used,  the  tone  is  hard  and  piercing.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  no  strength  at  all  is  used,  then  the  tone  is 
faint,  uncertain  and  without  character.  Force  is 
prohibited,  but  natural  strength  is  demanded  for  a 
good  attack.  When  the  singer  or  speaker  has  to  force 
the  voice  it  means  that  the  natural  strength  is  deficient. 
Because  of  this  deficiency,  vocalists  are  tempted  to 
use,  not  the  correct  and  natural  means  of  making  a 
sound,  but  the  unnatural  means.  Only  when  the  organs 
which  produce  sound  are  strong  enough  to  do  their 
work  with  ease,  then  the  sound  will  be  the  very  best 
possible.  You  will  find  through  studying  the  lessons 
on  "attack,"  which  tones  are  produced  by  your  natural 
strength  and  also,  if  you  test  the  attack  on  higher  tones, 
you  will  quickly  realize  the  limit  of  range  natural  to 
your  present  voice.  When  you  realize  this  limit,  you 
will,  I  am  sure,  be  sensible  enough  not  to  force  your 
voice  beyond  it,  but  to  work  patiently  to  create  the 
necessary  strength  which  will  carry  you  far  beyond 
your  present  limitations. 

THE  VOCAL  ATTACK 

If  you  will  lay  the  palm  of  your  hand  against  the 
back  of  the  upper  thigh  and  take  a  few  steps,  you 
will  notice  that  the  leg  muscles  swell  and  push  against 
the  hand.  A  similar  action  will  occur  if  you  lay  your 
hand  upon  the  upper  arm  and  then  move  the  forearm 


10 


LESSON  XI 


up  and  down.  The  explanation  of  this  swelling  is 
that  when  any  part  of  the  body  is  about  to  move,  the 
muscles  of  that  part  contract  or  draw  together.  In 
other  words,  they  shorten  themselves,  but  what  they 
lose  in  length  they  gain  in  thickness.  They  become 
thicker,  firmer,  more  compact  and  consequently  harder. 
The  change  from  a  slack  to  a  tense  condition  of  a 
muscle  occurs  suddenly,  therefore  we  notice  the  con- 
traction as  a  jerk  or  stroke.  This  same  action  takes 
place  in  the  vocal  organ  when  it  performs  its  functions 
correctly  and  naturally. 

It  is  this  muscular  contraction  that  makes  it  pos- 
sible for  us  to  demonstrate  to  the  eye  and  to  the  sense 
of  touch,  as  well  as  to  the  ear,  the  right  and  wrong 
action  of  the  vocal  organ.  If  you  have  mastered  all 
the  previously  described  tongue  exercises,  you  should 
now  be  ready  for  the  test  that  is  to  determine  the  real 
condition  of  your  hyoid  muscle. 

THE  TEST 

If  you  will  make  an  examination,  you  will  find  that 
the  under  side  of  the  tongue  is  attached  to  the  bottom  of 
the  mouth.  For  this  test  insert  the  little  finger,  nail  up- 
ward, under  the  center  of  the  tongue.  Rest  the  finger 
upon  the  teeth  and  raise  the  finger  tip  slightly,  caus- 
ing the  tongue  to  rest  upon  the  finger.  Be  careful  to 
observe  the  following  rules:  The  tongue  must  remain 
soft.  It  must  not  be  drawn  back.  It  must  not  extend 
forward  over  the  teeth.  Acquire  this  quiet,  easy  posi- 
tion of  the  tongue  upon  the  little  finger  before  you 
attempt  to  proceed  further.    See  Fig.  77. 

Hold  the  position  described  above,  take  the  mirror 
in  your  other  hand  and  observe  the  tongue,  and  by 
the  dictation  of  your  will  form  the  tongue  groove. 


LESSON  XI  11 

As  the  finger  will  be  an  obstacle,  it  may  not  at  first  be 
easy  to  make  the  groove.  If  this  is  the  case,  lay  the 
mirror  aside,  and  with  the  index  finger  of  the  free 


Fig.  77. 


hand,  stroke  and  tickle  the  back  of  the  tongue  to 
encourage  or  provoke  it  to  fall.  The  instant  the 
groove  is  formed  you  will  feel  a  light  pressure  upon 
the  finger.  Retain  this  pressure  while  you  mentally 
count  three,  but  be  careful  not  to  increase  the  pressure 
at  all  Then  suddenly  relax  the  pressure  and  the 
groove  will  disappear.  Repeat  this  exercise  twenty- 
five  times.  If  you  can  do  this,  your  hyoid  muscle  is 
gaining  strength  and  you  are  progressing  favorably. 


12 


LESSON  XI • 


If  you  cannot  do  this  exercise  perfectly,  continue  to 
practice  until  you  can.  Sufficient  practice  is  all  that 
is  necessary. 

The  hyoid  muscle  is  peculiar.  It  cannot  be  forced; 
it  has  to  be  educated  and  mentally  controlled.  As 
already  explained,  it  is  nowhere  attached  to  a  firm 
bone,  but  lies  relaxed  in  the  throat.  Because  of  this 
we  cannot  force  it  as  we  can  the  muscles  of  the  arm. 
If  you  attempt  any  straining  whatever  with  this 
muscle,  the  masticatory  muscles  will  interfere  and  you 
will  feel  a  strong  pressure  upon  the  finger.  This  is 
just  what  you  do  not  want.  Such  pressure  comes  from 
a  wrong  source,  a  source  from  which  proceeds  not  help 
but  injury.  This  is  the  one  thing  you  must  prevent. 
All  development  of  the  voice  depends  upon  the  develop- 
ment of  strength  in  the  hyoid  muscle;  therefore  my 
instructions  are  designed  to  bring  about  this  develop- 
ment, and  all  the  exercises  I  give  here  have  for  their 
object  the  development  of  this  muscle. 

A  knowledge  of  breathing,  etc.,  while  useful,  is 
still  of  secondary  consideration.  You  cannot  over- 
estimate the  value  of  exercising  the  tongue  upon  the 
little  finger.  Continue  it  for  three  or  four  weeks,  or 
even  longer,  at  frequent  intervals  through  the  day;  you 
cannot  practice  it  too  much.  Many  will  succeed  at 
once;  others  will  find  it  difficult.  If  it  is  difficult, 
remember  you  are  holding  the  tongue  too  stiff.  Merely 
learn  to  drop  it  as  you  do  your  arms,  when  they  are 
tired,  or  as  you  close  your  eyes  when  you  are  sleepy. 

A  peculiarity  which  I  have  observed  in  many 
pupils  is  that  those  who  have  weak  hyo-glossus  muscles 
can  grasp  the  exercises  more  readily  and  execute  them 
with  more  ease  than  those  in  whom  the  muscles  are 
naturally  strong. 

The  only  explanation  I  can  suggest  is  that  the 
muscles  of  a  naturally  strong  tongue,  because  they 


LESSON  XI 


13 


have  never  been  directly  controlled,  are  more  awkward 
and  respond  more  slowly. 

When  you  succeed  in  making  the  groove  against 
the  underlying  finger,  notice  casually,  that  the  tongue 
rests  upon  the  finger,  that  is,  you  feel  the  weight  of  the 
tongue  resting  on  the  little  finger.  You  can  use  your 
right  hand  or  left  hand;  it  does  not  matter  which. 

After  you  have  learned  this,  proceed  to  the  follow- 
ing: 

(1)  Place  the  little  finger  as  before  under  the 
tongue,  then  whisper  or  pronounce  "kh;"  do  not  say 
"kay,"  but  simply  make  the  consonant  sound  of  "kh" 
several  times.  The  tip  of  the  tongue,  or  even  the 
entire  tongue,  may  tremble  or  move  slightly;  pay  no 
attention  to  that.  As  you  pronounce  "kh"  the  rear 
end  of  the  tongue  is  raised  a  little  by  the  contraction 
of  the  palate  to  tongue  and  tonsil  muscles;  the  slight 
motion  of  the  tongue  is  caused  by  that  contraction. 

Once  more  pronounce  the  ''kh;"  this  time  hold  it, 
that  is,  keep  on  saying  or  whispering  "kh"  for  a  few 
seconds,  then  suddenly  say  "ah."    It  will  feel  like 

"kh  ah."    Say  the  "ah"  as  in  father  and  say  it 

loudly,  but  easily.    Repeat  this  "kh  ah"  many 

times;  gradually  notice  that  when  you  say  the  "ah" 
after  the  "kh"  that  the  tongue  seems  to  rest,  or  sit 
down  as  it  were,  upon  your  finger  and  that  is  what  we 
want. 

(2)  Now  take  your  mirror  and  look  at  the  tongue 
while  you  pronounce  "kh  ah."  If  you  have  suc- 
ceeded in  the  exercise,  you  will  see  that  at  "kh"  the 
tongue  rises  in  the  back,  to  stay  there  as  long  as  you 
say  "kh,"  but  the  instant  you  say  "ah"  the  tongue 
falls,  drops  down  and  forms  a  groove. 

Gradually  learn  to  say  "kh  ah,"  counting  one 

for  the  "kh"  and  two  for  the  "ah." 


14 


LESSON  XI 


When  you  have  mastered  this,  but  not  before,  pro- 
ceed to  this: 

(3)  Again  place  little  finger  as  before,  now  whis- 
per several  times  "eeh,  eeh,  eeh."  Notice  with  help  of 
the  mirror,  that  the  tongue  rises  again  in  the  back. 
Pay  no  attention  to  what  happens  with  the  front  end 
of  the  tongue. 

Now  prolong  the  whisper  "eeh"  and  suddenly  go 
to  ''ah"  as  in  father.  Notice  that  at  ''ah"  the  tongue 
again  drops  down,  forms  a  groove  and  seems  to  rest 
upon  the  finger.  Notice  this  resting  position  of  the 
tongue;  it  feels  as  if  the  tongue  were  slightly  pressing 
upon  the  little  finger. 

Do  as  before,  but  instead  of  whispering  "eeh  ah," 

say  it  out  loud. 

(4)  Again  put  the  little  finger  under  the  tongue. 
Now  whisper  "a,"  as  in  "pay."  Watch  the  tongue 
with  the  mirror  and  notice  that  it  rises  upward  as 
in  the  other  sounds.  Again  say  the  "ah"  after  a  pro- 
longed whisper  of  the  "a,"  thus  "a  ah."  Notice 

that  at  "ah"  the  tongue  falls  and  grooves.    Now  speak 

the  "a  ah"  loud,  gradually  count  (mentally)  one  for 

"a,"  two  for  "ah." 

Surely  you  will  now  understand  how  to  relax  the 
tongue. 

You  are  absolutely  perfect  if  at  the  "ah"  sound, 
there  is  merely  a  dropping  of  the  rear  part  of  the 
tongue  and  practically  no  motion  in  front. 

(5)  Repeat  all  the  above  exercises,  while  you 
place  the  forefinger  of  the  other  hand  under  the  cri- 
coid cartilage.  Of  course  you  cannot  now  use  the 
mirror.  Gradually  eliminate  all  motions  of  the  cricoid 
while  you  whisper  or  speak  the  different  exercises. 

If  you  merely  do  the  exercises  easily  enough  you 
will  succeed.    You  must  center  all  your  thoughts  on 


LESSON  XI 


15 


the  tongue.  Forget  everything  else  and  concentrate 
on  the  tongue. 

(6)  Practice  also  without  sounds,  that  is,  at  count 
one  drop  the  rear  part  of  the  tongue,  at  count  two 
let  the  tongue  rise  up.  Do  not  force  the  tongue  up 
at  count  two,  merely  let  go  of  the  downward  effort 
and  it  will  jump  upward  of  its  own  accord.  Always 
notice  that  when  the  tongue  falls,  you  feel  a  pressure 
on  the  finger  and  that  when  it  rises  there  is  no  longer  a 
pressure. 

Gradually  think  that  you  are  making  this  little 
pressure  or  ''beat"  purposely  of  your  own  free  will, 
and  that  you  can  release  the  pressure  also  of  your  own 
free  will. 

I  am  sure  that  you  can  understand  this  very  im- 
portant lesson;  I  really  do  not  know  how  to  make 
it  any  plainer.    Have  patience  and  it  will  come  to  you. 

Be  sure  that  you  master  this  very  important  lesson. 

This  lesson  is  of  especial  importance  to  defective 
voices. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XI 

(1)  What  is  the  object  of  the  arteries? 

(2)  Has  the  tongue  a  special  blood  supply?   ^'iJ^  ' 

(3)  Which  is  the  central  organ  of  blood  supply? 

(4)  What  is  the  difference  between  Theory  and 
Practice?  f^^: 

(5)  What  may  cause  dizziness  and  fainting  spells? 

(6)  What  is  your  success  with  groove  against 
finger?  ; 

(7)  Do  you  feel  a  beat  or  pressure  on  the  finger 
when  you  make  the  groove?  ^A-'^ 

(8)  Can  the  hyoid  muscle  be  forced? 

(9)  What  is  your  success  in  "kh  ah?!'/  ^-^  . 

(10)    What  is  your  success  in  ''a  ah?"  / 


LESSON  12 


PHYSIOLOGY  OF  THE  VOCAL  ORGAN 

{Concluded) 

THE  NERVOUS  SYSTEM— NEUROLOGY 

The.  nervous  system  is  contained  within  the  animal 
tube  of  the  body.  Its  central  organism  is  the  spine 
and  the  brain.  The  nerves  are  fibres  which  run  from 
the  central  organism  to  the  different  parts  of  the  body. 
The  controlling  organ  is  the  brain.  The  spine  is  the  seat 
of  the  senses,  the  will,  and  all  spiritual  activities. 
The  nerves  are  only  the  wires  connecting  the  brain 
with  the  different  parts  of  the  body,  especially  through 
the  muscles.  According  to  the  way  in  which  the  nerves 
affect  parts  of  the  muscles  they  are  called  motor,  sensory 
or  secretionary  nerves. 

There  is  another  system  of  nerves  called  sympa- 
thetic nerves,  having  to  do  with  the  intestines,  etc.; 
but  these  belong  to  the  vegetable  tube  and  do  not 
concern  us. 

The  nerves  consist  of  fibres  and  cells.  The  fibres 
consist  of  a  white  substance,  the  cells  of  a  gray  nerve 
substance.  Just  as  the  arteries  branch  out  of  some 
main  channel,  so  do  the  nerves  grow  in  bundles  out 
of  the  bony  tube  of  the  spine,  and  divide  into  many 
fibres  which,  like  telegraph  wires,  reach  in  all  directions. 
Each  muscle  has  its  individual  nerves  which  control  it. 

There  are  twelve  pairs  of  brain-nerves,  specifically 
motor  and  sensory  nerves.  They  spread  over  the 
head,  throat,  chest  and  partly  into  the  abdomen. 
These  are  the  nerves  of  smell,  sight,  taste,  hearing  and 
secretion;  and  also  the  nerves  which  control  the 
movements  of  the  eyes,  lips,  tongue,  palate,  larynx, 
etc.    Only  those  nerves  which  have  to  do  directly  or 

1 

®  Printed  in  Chicago,  111..  U.  S.  A 


2 


LESSON  XII 


indirectly  with  the  vocal  organ,  are  of  interest  to  the 
voice  student;  hence,  T  shall  briefly  touch  upon  them 
only. 


Fig.  79 

Tympanic  and  Lingual  Nerve. 


LESSON  XII 


3 


These  nerves  spread  within  the  hollow  space 
between  the  nose  and  the  palate  and  pharynx,  as 
shown  by  Fig.  78. 

At  "aut"  arises  the  tympanic  nerve,  which  controls 
especially  the  sense  of  hearing,  as  shown  in  Fig.  79. 
All  the  nerves  I  shall  mention  have  one  common 
origin,  hence  they  operate  together.  The  tympanic 
nerve  has  one  branch  running  downward  directly  into 
the  lingual  nerve,  '*V."  The  lingual  nerve  is  the 
special  nerve  of  speech.  It  runs  directly  into  the 
hyo-glossus  muscles  and  branches  from  there  into 
the  genio-glossus,  against  which  the  hyo-glossus  braces 
itself  to  stretch  the  vocal  chords. 

1 1  This  is  a  most  significant  fact.  It  points  again 
to  the  great  importance  of  the  hyo-glossus  muscles  as 
the  main  agents  of  voice.  Since  the  nerve  of  hearing 
branches  into  the  nerves  of  the  tongue,  that  is,  into 
the  nerves  of  speech,  you  can  readily  see  that  the 
nerves  of  hearing  and  the  nerves  of  speech  are  almost 
identical. 

The  ear  conceives  a  tone.  The  tongue,  or  rather, 
the  hyo-glossus  executes  the  tone,  being  assisted  by 
the  muscles  of  the  palate  and  larynx,  which  also 
have  a  common  center  with  the  other  nerves.  This 
fact  becomes  still  more  significant  when  you  examine 
Fig.  80,  where  you  can  see  how  the  laryngeal  nerves 
again  touch  the  hyo-glossus  muscles  and  run  directly 
over  the  hyoid  bone  into  the  larynx.  The  close  relation 
between  voice  and  health  may  also  be  observed  in  this 
illustration.  You  notice  that  the  main  nerve  rises 
from  the  heart  *'AA"  and  the  stomach  "Pga."  At 
the  heart  the  nerve  shoots  a  special  branch  upward 
into  the  larynx.  This  in  itself  explains  the  emotional 
relations  of  the  voice  with  the  heart,  which  has  to 
supply  nervous  force  to  the  voice  and  stomach  muscles 


*4  LESSON  XII 


Fig.  80 
Laryngeal  Nerves. 


as  well  as  to  its  own.  It  shows  how  much  they  must 
depend  upon  each  other.  Suppose  the  vocal  organ 
or,  rather,  the  muscles  which  control  and  move  the 
vocal  organ  are  too  weak  to  do  this  work,  then  they 


LESSON  XII 


5 


cannot  contract;  that  is,  they  cannot  respond  to  the 
demands  of  the  nerves. 

The  consequence  must  be  that  the  nerves  of  these 
muscles  will  lose  strength  and  possibly  become  atro- 
phied, which  is  the  case  with  many  stammerers  and 
others  with  speech  defects.  In  this  case,  surely  the 
nerves  of  the  heart  and  stomach  are  to  some  degree 
also  affected.  On  the  other  hand,  when  the  muscles 
into  which  these  nerves  enter  are  in  a  healthy  state, 
the  nerves  will  remain  healthy  also,  assuring  that  the 
central  organs  of  the  heart,  lungs  and  stomach  are  in 
a  normally  healthy  condition.  You  can  trace  the 
nerves  from  the  brain,  their  common  center,  to  the 
particular  parts  which  they  control. 

Fig.  81  gives  a  complete  view  of  the  brain  as  seen 
from  below.    "H"  shows  the  origin  of  the  hyo-glossus 


Fig.  81 

The  Brain  and  Its  Nerves. 


6 


LESSON  XII 


nerve.  "Gl"  shows  the  nerves  of  the  tongue  and 
pharynx.  "T"  shows  the  palate  nerves.  All  these 
nerves  belong  to  the  group  of  motor  nerves;  that  is, 
these  nerves  move  the  muscles  to  which  they  are 
attached. 

As  a  rule,  muscles  connect  the  bones  of  the  body 
through  the  medium  of  a  ligament  or  tendon.  A 
muscle  usually  consists  of  three  parts:  an  origin,  body 
and  head.  By  the  origin  is  meant  a  bone  that  is 
firmly  fixed.  Out  of  this  bone  the  muscle  grows, 
while  the  other  end  or  head  is  attached  to  a  movable 
bone.  Muscles  are  formed  into  groups;  several  muscles 
help  to  perform  the  same  ofBce;  for  instance,  when 
we  take  a  step,  several  muscles  unite  to  move  the 
bones  at  the  same  instant.  Each  group  of  muscles 
is  supplied  with  one  or  more  nerves. 

Dr.  Foster,  of  London,  England,  in  his  interesting 
work,  describes  the  inner  workings  of  a  muscle  thus: 
''One  should  think  of  a  muscle  as  containing  many 
cells  which  lie  beside  one  another  like  particles  of 
powder.  To  each  of  these  particles  leads  a  thread 
from  the  central  battery  of  the  brain.  The  explosion 
of  one  of  these  particles  contracts  the  muscle  instantly, 
and  it  remains  contracted  until  a  part  of  the  negative 
battery  is  exploded,  when  the  muscle  at  once  returns 
to  its  original  relaxed  position.  If  we  try  to  force  a 
muscle  it  refuses  to  work,  because,  as  it  seems,  the 
positive  and  negative  batteries  neutralize  each  other, 
so  that  the  muscle  cannot  work  at  all.  After  the 
particles  are  exploded,  the  muscle  is  tired  or  broken 
down.  During  rest  the  blood  builds  up  new  particles, 
and  in  this  way  a  muscle  is  rebuilt  and  made  stronger." 

Therefore,  all  ideas  of  force  must  be  dismissed. 
But  the  theory  of  looseness  and  flabbiness,  so  often 
taught,  is  just  as  pernicious.    In  both  cases  the  muscles 


LESSON  XII 


7 


refuse  to  work  and  become  useless.  If,  however,  we 
strengthen  the  muscles,  there  is  no  need  to  force  them, 
for  they  will  then  do  their  work  automatically. 

Beside  the  motor  nerves,  there  are  nerves  of  the 
senses.  They  are  called  the  "sensory"  nerves.  These 
nerves  are  especially  the  nerves  of  sight,  taste, 
smelling,  hearing  and  secretion. 

THE  SENSE  OF  HEARING 

The  organ  of  hearing  is  divided  into  three  parts. 
The  outer  part,  or  ear  proper,  conveys  the  tone  or 
vibrations  to  the  middle  ear,  or  the  tympanum,  and 
thence  to  the  inner  ear,  or  labyrinth. 

The  external  ear  (Fig.  82)  consists  of  cartilages, 
covered  by  facial  skin.  The  cartilages  are  connected 
with  the  head  by  muscles,  which  occasionally  are 
capable  of  moving  the  ear.  This  is  supposed  to  be 
a  survival  from  prehistoric  times,  when,  it  is  claimed, 
men  moved  their  ears,  as  a  horse  does  now.  The 
external  ear  conveys  the  sound  waves  to  the  ear  canal 
(Fig.  83).  At  the  end  of  this  canal  is  situated  the 
tympanic  membrane.  This  membrane  resembles  the 
membrane  in  a  telephone,  or  the  head  of  a  drum,  and 
transmits  vibrations  to  the  little  ear  bones. 

The  middle  ear  consists  of  the  tympanic  cavity, 
into  which  opens  the  eustachian  tube,  connecting 
the  ear  with  the  pharynx  of  the  throat.  It  also  con- 
tains the  three  bones  which  transmit  the  sound  waves 
or  any  vibrations  to  the  labyrinth  and  through  it  to  the 
auricular  nerve.  The  three  bones  (Fig.  84),  *'a," 
hammer,  "b,"  anvil,  and  '*c,"  stirrup,  are  controlled 
by  means  of  special  muscles. 

The  inner  ear  consists  of  the  so-called  labyrinth, 
which  is  divided  into  the  ''Fr"  vestibule,  "1"  canal, 
and  **c"  cochlea  (Fig.  85).    From  the  organs  of  hear- 


8 


LESSON  XII 


Fig.  82 
The  Ear. 


Fig.  83 
Ear  Canal. 


ing,  nerves  lead  to  the  brain;  vibrations  originating 
in  an  instrument  are  conveyed  through  the  air  to  the 
tympanic  membrane,  thence  to  the  labyrinth  and 
through  it  to  the  ear  nerves.    They  cause  certain 


LESSON  xn 


9 


sensations  or  produce  certain  effects  in  the  brain, 
which  we  receive  as  words  and  tones,  or  if  the  vibrations 
are  unsteady  or  irregular,  as  noises. 

Recent  researches  assure  us  that  there  are  no  less 
than  60,000  fibres  in  the  inner  ear,  each  of  which  will 
respond  to  a  different  vibration,  thus  giving  the 
human  ear  a  scale  of  60,000  different  sounds,  infinitely 
more  than  any  musical  system  is  likely  ever  to  utilize. 


Fig.  85 

The  Labyrinth. 


Whether  the  sound  is  single,  as  in  the  human  voice, 
or  manifold,  as  in  the  case  of  an  orchestra,  the  brain 
receives  a  certain  impression.  The  pitch,  the  tone 
color,  the  dynamic  changes  from  loud  to  soft,  or  vice 
versa,  will  affect  us  very  much,  as  a  blue  sky  will 
make  us  feel  good,  while  fog  and  rain  will  have  the 
opposite  effect.  In  music,  for  instance,  a  piece  written 
in  G  major  will  impress  us  as  joyful,  lively,  while  one 


10 


LESSON  XII 


written  in  B  flat  minor  will  affect  us  as  melancholy 
and  sad.  A  change  of  key  or  a  change  from  major  to 
minor,  even  short  harmonic  changes  in  the  same  piece, 
will  affect  our  feelings,  changing  joy  and  courage  to 
sadness  or  despondency,  etc.  All  this  occurs  because 
certain  stimulations  of  the  heart,  lungs  and  vocal 
chords  are  being  conveyed  by  the  nerves  of  hearing 
to  the  brain. 

When  you  consider  the  acuteness  of  our  sense  of 
hearing,  its  immediate  effect  on  us  all,  you  will  all 
the  more  realize  the  importance  of  a  good  voice. 
Your  success  in  life,  the  happiness  of  those  around 
you,  largely  depends  upon  the  quality  of  your  voice, 

The  physiology  of  the  vocal  organ  is  now  finished. 
In  other  lessons  you  will  be  taught  the  physiology  of 
the  breathing  organ,  for  while  the  breath  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  the  voice,  it  is  an  organ  by  itself  and 
must  be  studied  separately. 

The  primary  object  of  the  breathing  organ  is  to 
supply  the  entire  body  with  the  necessary  oxygen,  and 
only  in  a  secondary  sense  does  the  breathing  organ 
function  as  a  source  of  breath  supply  to  the  vocal 
organ. 

Still  later  in  the  course,  certain  parts  of  the  human 
body,  especially  the  masticatory  apparatus  must  be 
considered,  because  these  particular  parts  interfere 
with  the  voice.  My  lessons  aim  to  be,  first  of  all,  a 
positive  process  of  building  up,  therefore  I  give  you  a 
progressive,  positive  work,  explaining,  as  we  go  along, 
why  such  work  is  necessary  and  proving  each  point 
so  that  you  can  see  for  yourself  why  the  work  must 
be  done  in  the  way  I  have  prescribed. 

There  are  conditions  which  interfere  with  the  voice, 
but  if  you  know  what  to  do,  you  will  not  be  tempted 
to  try  negative  experiments.    Yet  for  a  full  under- 


LESSON  XII 


11 


standing  of  the  matter  of  voice,  even  the  negative 
side  must  be  considered,  and  this  side  of  the  vocal 
question  also  will  be  made  known  to  you  in  good  time. 

In  the  next  few  lessons,  the  philosophy  and  physi- 
ology and  history  of  voice  will  be  briefly  dwelt  upon. 
I  would  advise  each  student,  while  we  have  a  breath- 
ing spell,  to  go  over  his  lessons  on  the  physiology  of 
voice  repeatedly.  Even  if  you  do  not  want  to  go  be- 
yond the  amateur  stage  of  voice  development,  your 
progress  will  be  surer  and  shorter  if  you  thoroughly 
understand  the  subject.  Try  to  know  all  about  it; 
reason  out  every  single  part  in  your  mind;  it  will  help 
you,  not  only  in  your  exercises,  but  it  will  train  your 
mind  to  think  logically  and  consecutively. 

EXERCISES  TO  LESSON  12 

RAISING  AND  LOWERING  THE  LARYNX 

Place  the  nail  side  of  the  forefinger  against  the  ring 
cartilage  (see  Fig.  30),  and  yawn  slowly  and  noise- 
lessly. After  a  few  attempts  you  will  notice  that  the 
larynx  is  strongly  drawn  downward.  With  a  deep  yawn 
the  finger  will  even .  be  pushed  aside  and  the  larynx 
almost  disappear  into  the  throat,  and  this  in  spite  of 
a  strong  upward  pressure  of  the  finger.  When  you 
have  acquired  some  proficiency  in  forcing  the  larynx 
down,  picture  to  yourself  or  think  of  the  larynx  as 
suddenly  depressed,  and  then  sing  a  few  notes  or 
speak  a  few  words,  and  later  a  few  sentences,  or  read 
something  aloud. 

You  will  notice  that  at  first  the  tone  becomes 
stronger.  If  you  have  a  naturally  deep  voice,  the 
sounds  will  be  agreeable  to  the  ear,  but  if  you  continue 
them  for  any  length  of  time,  your  voice  will  tire  and 
become  hollow.  In  higher  voices  this  tone  is  throaty 
and  in  a  short  time  becomes  husky  and  tired.  The 


12 


LESSON  XII 


larynx  is  drawn  downward  by  the  downward  pulling 
throat  muscles.  When  the  larynx  is  in  this  position 
the  vocal  cords  become  temporarily  enlarged,  hence 
the  larger  tone,  but  they  are  not  being  stretched, 
hence  the  strain  and  the  unnatural  voice.  This  kind 
of  singing  and  speaking  is  much  taught  and  is  falsely 
designated  "the  chest  voice." 

Place  the  forefinger  against  the  lower  side  of  the 
ring  cartilage.  Now  attempt  to  swallow.  If  neces- 
sary, use  a  little  water  or,  still  better,  some  hot  liquid, 
and  you  will  observe  a  sudden  rising  of  the  entire  larynx. 
This  action  will  be  still  more  noticeable  if  you  lay  the 
finger  in  the  front~  hollow  of  the  thyroid  cartilage 
No.  2A,  and  then  swallow.  You  can  even  press  down 
with  considerable  strength  upon  the  thyroid  cartilage 
and  then,  when  you  swallow  suddenly,  the  finger,  in 
spite  of  the  resistance,  will  be  pushed  aside  and  the 
larynx  raised  high. 

The  larynx  is  lifted  by  the  palate  muscles  (No.  17). 
If  no  resistance  is  opposed  to  this  rising  of  the  larynx, 
the  vocal  cords  become  thin  and  the  tone,  in  conse- 
quence, high  and  light.  Endeavor  to  retain  this  raised 
position  of  the  larynx  while  speaking  and  you  will 
observe  that  the  tone  rings  higher,  but  thinner  and 
lighter.  A  voice  of  this  character  does  very  well  for 
a  small  room,  but  for  public  speaking  or  singing  the 
tone  is  too  small.  This  method  of  singing  or  speaking 
is  just  as  injurious  and  unnatural  as  the  previous  one, 
where  the  larynx  is  drawn  downward.  Indeed,  the 
raised  larynx  is  even  more  destructive  to  sound  than 
the  lowered  one. 

The  downward  pulling  muscles  are  fastened  below 
to  the  breast  bone  (No.  6)  and  above  to  the  forward 
part  of  the  thyroid  cartilage  (No.  2A).  The  upward 
pulling  muscles  are  attached  to  the  back  of  the  thyroid 


LESSON  XII 


13 


cartilage  (No.  2B)  and  stretched  from  there  into  the 
palate  (No.  9  and  15).  These  two  forces  should 
always  balance,  that  is,  the  upward  pull  and  the  down- 
ward pull  should  be  equal.  When  this  is  the  case, 
the  larynx  will  remain  in  its  natural  position  and  the 
vocal  cords  will  be  correctly  stretched.  This  equal- 
izing can,  however,  only  take  place  when  the  tongue, 
the  greatest  of  all  the  speech  muscles  (No.  12,  lOA 
and  lOB),  reinforces  the  strength  of  the  others.  If  the 
necessary  tongue  support  is  not  available,  the  other 
muscles  can  make  but  slight  efforts  and,  as  a  result,  the 
tone  is  lifeless.  If,  however,  the  tongue  is  powerful, 
it  reinforces  the  other  muscles,  they  become  normally 
active  and  perform  their  work  with  ease.  Under 
these  favorable  conditions,  the  tone  is  full  of  power 
and  life  and  no  strain  is  necessary  to  produce  it;  it 
comes  of  itself. 

The  raising  and  lowering  of  the  larynx  is  not  to 
be  practiced  as  an  exercise.  You  are  to  do  it  only 
until  you  can  make  the  larynx  go  up  or  down  by 
thinking.  I  simply  want  you  to  know  of  these  pos- 
sibilities. 

DEEP  INHALING 

For  drawing  in  the  breath  easily  and  deeply,  prac- 
tice the  following  excellent  exercise: 

Seat  yourself  comfortably,  resting  your  back 
against  the  chair.  Then  let  your  head  and  shoulders 
fall  forward  carelessly.  Remain  in  this  relaxed  posi- 
tion and  draw  the  stomach  lightly  and  loosely  inward. 
Hold  it  in  this  position  and  inhale,  while  you  whisper 
"ooh." 

You  will  feel  a  noticeable  spreading  of  the  lower 
part  of  the  back,  also  that  it  presses  against  the  back 
of  the  chair  and  that  the  lower  chest  becomes  enlarged. 


14 


LESSON  XII 


Now  utter  a  strong  "ss"  and  you  will  find  that  the 
stomach  and  chest  gradually  return  to  their  normal 
positions  and  in  so  doing  forcibly  press  out  the  breath 
and  without  the  least  exertion.  When  this  exercise 
is  thoroughly  understood,  the  intentional  drawing  in 
of  the  stomach  may  be  omitted,  but  not  before.  After 
you  understand  the  exercise  you  should  cease  thinking 
about  the  stomach  and  only  expect  a  deep  enlarging 
of  the  chest  and  back.  If  you  do  this,  an  involuntary 
motion  of  the  stomach  will  follow  naturally. 

During  the  exhalation,  the  drooping  shoulders  and 
head  will  return  to  their  natural  upright  position. 
When  you  are  master  of  this  exercise,  you  will  be 
able  to  take  a  deep  breath  in  half  a  second  without 
whispering  **ooh,"  but  by  merely  thinking  it.  You 
should  be  able  to  inhale  and  exhale  in  one  second.  For 
the  exhaling  always  use  the  "ss"  sound. 

When  you  can  inhale  and  exhale  as  instructed,  then 
read  short  sentences  and  follow  these  by  longer  ones. 
Read  loudly  and  distinctly  and  as  soon  as  the  breath  is 
used  up,  draw  another  in  the  manner  I  have  described. 
At  first,  the  breath  should  be  inhaled  after  each  sen- 
tence. You  will  soon  find  that  this  is  both  simple 
and  easy  and  that  you  do  not  need  to  "save  your 
breath"  as  many  advise. 

The  forming  of  the  mouth  for  the  ''ooh"  and  "ss" 
places  the  opening  of  the  throat  in  the  most  favorable 
position  for  the  quick  passage  of  the  air  to  and  from 
the  lungs. 

Deep  inhaling  should  be  practiced  often,  but  not 
long  at  a  time.  Reading  and  speaking,  while  correctly 
exhaling,  should  be  practiced  a  little  daily. 

Keep  up  the  practice  of  grooving  the  tongue 
against  underlying  little  finger. 


LESSON  XII 


15 


EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  12 

A  REVIEW  EXAMINATION  OF  THE 
FIRST  TWELVE  LESSONS 

(1)  Where  is  the  infallible  attack? 

(2)  Are  the  vocal  chords  a  single  pair  of  muscles 
or  what? 

(3)  Do  you  now  understand  Fig.  30,  page  75? 

(4)  Where  does  the  breath  originate? 

(5)  What  does  the  breath  do? 

(6)  Can  you  now  make  groove  with  utmost  ease? 

(7)  What  is  the  most  important  muscle  in  voice? 

(8)  What  is  the  pharynx? 

(9)  What  is  the  glottis? 

(10)  What  is  the  air  tube?  ' 

(11)  What  is  the  oesophagus? /^-w  i^^^^^^^ 

(12)  What  is  the  palate?  '  -        t  ' 

(13)  Should  the  larynx  move  when  speaking  or 
singing?  ^^M) 

(14)  Can  you  isolate  the  hyo-glossus  muscle? 

(15)  What  is  the  object  of  the  hyoid  bone? 

(16)  Has  the  hyo-glossus  muscle  a  special  nerve 
supply? 

(17)  Has  the  hyo-glossus  muscle  a  special  blood 
supply? 

(18)  The  exercises  and  lessons  so  far  have  been 
mainly  preparatory.  Can  you  realize  the  importance 
of  such  a  preparation? 


LESSON  13 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VOICE  AND  VOICE 
METHODS  (ANCIENT) 

The  study  of  voice  preceded  every  other  form  of 
culture.  '*Let  there  be  light"  were  the  first  words 
spoken,  and  such  was  the  power  of  this  voice  that  all 
things  were  created  thereby. 

Before  the  first  sound  was  possible  in  the  visible 
world,  untold  eternities  passed  away.  Slowly  the 
elements  ordered  themselves  at  the  divine  command; 
epoch  was  followed  by  epoch;  immense  forests  of 
ferns  and  palms  arose;  through  them  pounded  and 
wheezed  creatures  of  inconceivable  size;  the  dino- 
saur, iguanodon,  diplodocus  and  mammoth  lived  and 
found  the  world  good  to  their  taste. 

Millions  of  years  passed  away  before  the  telluric 
upheavals  within  the  earth  had  created  a  new  balance 
of  adjustment.  High  mountains  arose  from  the  depth. 
The  earth  was  shocked  with  mighty  convulsions. 
From  craters  and  geysers  flowed  cataracts  of  chemical 
substances  in  mighty  streams;  out  of  the  salty  perspi- 
ration of  the  gigantic  combat  the  oceans  were  formed. 
The  old  order  had  disappeared  to  give  place  to  the 
reposeful  paleological  era. 

Exhaustion  seemed  to  brood  over  the  earth.  Time 
was  no  more.  Life  had  disappeared.  But  here  and 
there,  in  little  mud  puddles,  were  some  tiny  cells  of  life; 
some  infinite  power  of  re-creation  had  been  saved  even 
in  the  era  of  destruction.  Slowly  new  forms  of  life 
developed  and  produced  themselves.  In  the  course 
of  ages  these  new  forms  of  life  shaped  our  present 
world  and  what  is  found  therein.    All  sorts  of  animal 

1 

®  Printed  in  Chicago,  111.,  U.  S.  A. 


2 


LESSON  XII J 


life  appeared,  but  now  in  many  new  forms  and  of  many 
and  diverse  kinds.  Not  crude  and  ponderous,  slow 
and  dull,  as  in  former  periods,  but  of  finely  chiseled 
features,  body  and  limbs;  fleet,  many  of  them,  and 
highly  intelligent.  Nature  had  become  an  artist— 
with  experience  had  come  higher  demands  and  greater 
vision. 

In  this  period,  with  stealthy,  silent  steps,  a  form, 
upright  with  projecting  jaw,  the  body  covered  with 
long  hair,  in  his  hand  a  sling  containing  a  sharp  stone  to 
slay  the  sleeping  hare,  in  the  heat  of  day,  appeared 
something  unknown  heretofore  ~—  a  man,  our  pre- 
adamite  progenitor. 

From  the  trees  birds  sang  their  improvised  melo- 
dies; it  was  the  first  sign  of  audible  Nature,  made 
beautiful.  , 

The  young  maidens  in  diluvial  time,  in  the  valley 
of  Couze,  in  France,  listened  and  gave  vent  to  their 
love  longing  in  sounds  learned  from  these  birds. 
Gradually  words,  crude  and  simple,  were  added  to 
these  sounds.  This  was  the  origin  of  speech  and  song. 
When  they  became  mothers,  new  thoughts  and  a  new 
form  of  love  filled  their  souls.  New  demands  were 
created,  new  words  invented  to  give  it  expression.  In 
this  wise,  speech  was  developed,  love  and  cradle  songs 
invented. 

The  impulse  both  to  speech  and  song  is  born  with 
man.  He  had  to  make  his  desires  known  in  the  circle 
of  the  tribe.  He  wanted  to  recount  his  successes  in 
the  hunt.  As  his  emotion  took  stronger  hold  he  burst 
into  song,  uncouth,  no  doubt,  but  to  him  an  expression 
of  the  life  within. 

Later,  as  the  tribes  marched  to  war,  he  burst  into 
martial  strains.  He  sees  his  enemy  lying  dead  before 
him  and  exults  in  shouts  of  joy.    In  the  evening,  around 


LESSON   XI 11 


3 


the  camp  fire,  the  sorcerer  of  primitive  times,  later  the 
medicine  man  and  still  later  the  priest,  recite  the  heroic 
deeds  of  the  mighty  warriors  of  the  tribe.  All  repeat 
the  strains,  and  the  crude  form  of  national  life,  of 
love  of  the  tribe — patriotism — has  become  an  accom- 
plished fact. 

At  this  time,  ''accident,"  the  greatest  discoverer  of 
all,  caused  a  boy  to  blow  into  a  discarded,  defective 
drinking  horn.  A  new  sound  was  heard.  The  bugle 
and  trumpet  were  discovered.  Another  boy  beat  a 
stick  against  a  skin,  stretched  over  a  hollow  log  to 
dry,  and  the  drum  became  known.  As  the  arrow  sped 
from  the  bent  bow,  the  string  gave  forth  a  new  kind 
of  tone.    The  father  of  all  violins  was  disclosed. 

How  terrifying,  how  fierce  was  the  sight,  when  the 
m^n,  clothed  in  the  skins  of  bears,  wolves  and  buffaloes, 
danced  around  the  camp  fire,  when  drunk  with  mead 
and  emotion  they  circled  around  the  tribal  emblem,  an 
oak  tree  of  a  thousand  years'  growth,  an  emblem  of 
life  and  strength ! 

Countless  generations  passed.  The  pace  of  devel- 
opment was  exceedingly  slow.  No  marching  forward, 
rather  snail's  crawl,  with  many  pauses  and,  not 
infrequently,  a  falling  back.  In  spite  of  the  manifold 
capacity  within  us,  men  rose  unspeakably  slowly  from 
the  stage  of  animal  savagery.  For  while  a  tree  pro- 
duces a  new  ring  each  year,  to  mark  the  progress  of 
its  growth,  man  needs  an  entire  generation  to  move 
one  step  forward.  The  man  took  a  wife,  or  several  of 
them,  lived  and  hungered  with  them,  when  fortune 
was  against  him.  This  community  he  called,  in 
conscious  or  unconscious  irony,  a  family  (Latin,  Fames- 
Hunger). 

Now  and  then,  in  winter  time,  when  hunting  was 
impossible  and  stealing  unprofitable,  a  maimed  or  crip- 
ple of  the  tribe  would  sing  or  recite  some  wild  hunting 


4 


LESSON  XIIl 


adventure^  or  praise  the  heroic  deeds  of  some  member 
long  dead  and  now  become  the  saint  or  honor  emblem 
of  the  tribe.  Or,  in  summer  time,  he  might  travel 
from  tribe  to  tribe  and  carry  his  rhapsodies  to  them 
in  exchange  for  food  and  mead.  Thus  was  born  the 
Bard  of  the  Celt,  the  Trouvere  of  the  French,  the 
Minnesinger  of  Germany,  the  newspaper  of  today.  He 
was  the  Homer  of  all  times. 

From  caves  and  holes  in  the  earth,  families  moved 
to  huts  made  of  stone  and  mud,  or  else  built  upon  posts 
and  tree  trunks  in  swamps.  Gradually  such  groups 
became  villages,  surrounded  by  palisades,  and  later  by 
stone  walls.  The  few  who,  by  valor,  superior  cunning 
or  by  stealth,  rose  above  the  numerous  common  herd, 
built  for  themselves  castles  of  stone.  Illios  was  founded 
and  nine  times  destroyed.  Tyre  and  Mycene  ruled  the 
valleys  of  Argos;  Babylon,  Nineveh,  Palmyra  were 
built.  Cities  counting  millions  of  inhabitants  erected 
palaces  to  their  kings  and  filled  them  with  ivory,  gold 
and  beautiful  women.  The  few  had  succeeded  in 
making  slaves  of  the  many.  Out  of  crude  beginnings 
of  mutual  communication  a  highly  and  richly  endowed 
language  had  been  evolved.  From  the  crude  recitation 
of  a  simple  hunting  adventure  the  classic  poem  took 
form. 

But  mere  speech  could  not  satisfy.  The  rhapsody 
sounded  cold  and  monotonous  in  the  wide  halls  of  the 
king.  With  angry  face  and  bored  silence  the  men 
reached  for  their  cups,  but  when  the  Bard  plucked  the 
strings  of  the  lyre  and  with  far-reaching  voice  sang 
the  praises  of  the  king;  his  courage,  which  shames  the 
lion;  his  strength,  which  is  as  that  of  five  hundred 
steers;  his  anger,  which  is  Hke  the  lightning  and 
thunder  in  a  summer's  storm;  his  wives,  so  lovely  that 
the  roses  bow  to  them  as  they  walk  in  the  garden, 


LESSON  XIII 


5 


with  their  rapturous  forms  and  love-lit  eyes,  the  men 
listened;  they  became  interested. 


This  is  the  mystic  time  of  humanity;  a  gradual 
unfolding,  born  of  the  necessities  and  desires  of  men. 

Practical  life  demanded  and  achieved  comparatively 
quickly  the  development  of  speech,  which  was  recorded 
by  means  of  lines,  curves  and  figures,  that  remain, 
even  to  this  day,  as  historic  evidence  of  the  gradual 
progress  of  human  speech.  Of  their  music  we  have 
no  record.  No  one  seems  to  have  thought  of  fixing 
those  sounds  by  means  of  signs. 

The  Chinese  had  achieved  a  theory  of  music 
thousands  of  years  before  the  Christian  era.  Melodies 
are  still  found  in  very  ancient  temples.  They  are 
within  a  scale  of  five  whole  tones.  The  semitone  w^s 
not  known.  As  far  back  as  3460  B.  C.  musical  rules 
were  established  and  around  1500  B.C.  half  tones 
were  introduced,  leading  to  our  present  chromatic 
scale.  But  the  old  order  of  the  scale  of  five  whole 
tones  still  predominates  in  China,  whose  instruments 
are  still  based  upon  the  old  theories  and  laws. 


Fig.  86 


Assyrian  Lion  Hunt. 


6 


LESSON  XIII 


In  India,  the  land  of  immeasurable  wealth  and 
-  of  hunger,  the  same  system  as  the  Chinese  was  current. 
There  singers  were  much  in  evidence.  They  were, 
however,  mostly  mendicants,  who  sang  the  praises  of 
anyone  rich  enough  to  pay  them  well. 

In  the  Rigveda,  the  old  monument  of  Indian  litera- 
ture, are  found  1,017  hymns,  mostly  religious.  But 
secular  songs,  love  songs,  to  the  praise  of  victories, 
etc.,  were  by  no  means  rare.  To  some  of  these  songs 
were  ascribed  supernatural  influences.  They  could 
transmute  beasts  and  men.  When  the  God  Krishna 
lived  in  India,  it  is  said  that  of  16,000  shepherd  girls 
each  invented  a  new  scale  in  which  they  sang  melodies 
of  their  love  for  the  handsome  young  shepherd  god. 

The  Greek  philosopher,  Plato,  returning  from 
Egypt  long  before  the  Christian  era,  said  that  he  had 
seen  the  records  of  songs  which  had  then  been  in 
existence  for  over  10,000  years.  These  songs  had 
the  power  to  ennoble  and  improve  men.  The  songs 
therefore  must  be  gifts  of  the  gods. 

To  the  ancient  Greeks  the  heavens  were  still  open 
and  the  gods  walked  on  earth.  To  them  the  gods 
were  a  reality.  They  were  the  "Supermen"  of  their 
day,  living,  teaching  and  even  sinning  with  the  man 
of  clay. 

Of  Egyptian  music  we  have  no  record,  as  they 
evidently  had  no  signs  for  musical  notation.  But 
the  monuments  still  standing  in  Egypt  show  a  great 
variety  of  musical  instruments.  Men  and  women 
singers  are  found  on  these  monuments.  They  had 
already  achieved  a  great  measure  of  prominence.  Rich 
families  had  their  own  singers.  The  singers  of  Pharaoh 
were  called  "Singers  of  the  master  of  the  world." 

The  "Fellahs"  of  Egypt  to  this  day  use  the  identical 
instruments  of  their  progenitors  of  4,000  years  ago. 


LESSON  XIII 


7 


Their  daughters,  slender  and  shapely,  seem  to  have  just 
risen  from  the  graves  of  the  old  Egypt,  as  they,  with 
swinging  step,  the  water  pitcher  on  their  heads,  seem 
to  quench  the  thirst  of  thousands  of  years.  Their 
songs  are  in  reality  mere  recitations  and  repeated  calls 
of  encouragement  as  they  work  together.  Verdi  has 
recorded  these  melodies  in  his  opera  Aida."  Through 
these  rhythmical  songs  the  Egyptian  foreman  held  his 


Fig.  87 

Hall  of  Columns  at  Kamak,  Egypt. 


laborors  together,  made  them  work  in  harmony  in  a 
certain  rhythmic  swing  that  not  only  encouraged  the 
laborors,  but  speeded  the  work.  Egypt  became  a 
province  of  Persia  and  later  of  Macedonia. 


8 


LESSON  XIII 


Thirty  years  before  Christ  the  Romans  overran  the 
Promised  Land.  Later  Mohammed  was  born,  a  poor, 
sickly  man,  and  suffering  from  hallucinations,  as  we 
say  now.  A  dreamer  of  dreams,  only  good  enough 
to  herd  sheep  and  goats.  But  this  man  let  loose  a 
revolutionary  storm  upon  the  world  which  conquered 
mighty  empires.  If  the  empires  which  his  faith  con- 
verted had  been  organized,  they  would  still  be  the 
strongest  factors. 

Neither  Cyrus  nor  Napoleon,  Alexander  the  Great 
nor  Charlemagne,  Darius  nor  Attila,  Confucius  nor 
Buddha  achieved  as  much  social  and  political  influence 
as  Mohammed,  the  Prophet.  Mohammed  copied 
Jehovah  and  Christ  and  to  their  teachings  added  the 
fanaticism  which  spread  his  influence  over  many 
millions  of  still  barbaric  tribes.  He  knew  human 
nature,  knew  how  to  arouse  the  enthusiasm  and  blind 
fanaticism  which  will  sacrifice  itself  for  an  ideal. 
Egypt  changed  its  Roman  masters  for  the  religion  of 
Mohammed.  All  Asia,  Palestine,  Persia,  the  rest  of 
Africa,  India,  Spain,  the  Balkans  and  most  of  Hungary 
were  conquered  by  the  faith  of  Mohammed.  Of  all 
these  nations  now  become  Mohammedan,  only  Persia 
had  a  distinctly  national  music,  and  that  became 
mixed  with  the  Egyptian  to  become  the  Arabian 
system  of  music. 

Arab  music,  whether  we  hear  it  in  Constantinople, 
Cairo,  Algiers,  or  in  the'  desert,  consists  of  short 
phrases,  in  connection  with  a  certain  rhythm  endlessly 
repeated.  The  listeners  sit  around  silently  and  very 
likely  thoughtlessly,  smoking  the  schibuk  or  narghile, 
the  most  modern  of  them  the  cigarette,  before  them 
an  empty  coffee  tasse.  The  Arab  music  does  not  aim 
at  stimulating  thought  and  feeling,  but  at  deadening 
both  of  them. 


LESSON  XIII 


9 


Fig.  88 
Mosque  at  Mecca,  Arabia. 


Their  method  of  voice  production  is  very  simple. 
They  press  the  tongue  against  the  palate  and  emit 
sounds  through  the  nose. 

The  present-day  advocates  of  voice  methods  based 
upon  the  resonance  of  the  cavities  of  the  nose  and 
pharynx  (throat)  should  study  the  Arab  method.  It 
is  much  more  simple  than  theirs  and  brings  quicker 
results. 

However,  with  such  a  method  of  voice  production, 
only  a  few  tones,  and  those  of  the  crudest,  were  pos- 
sible. But  when  thousands  repeated  certain  phrases, 
the  effect  upon  a  primitive  people  must  have  been 
hypnotic. 

The  Jews  were  much  farther  advanced  in  music  and 
singing,  which  occupied  a  high  place  in  their  religious 
services,  as  we  can  easily  judge  from  many  passages 
in  the  Bible.  Both  Saul  and  David  were  singers; 
even  some  of  the  Prophets  sang  —  no  doubt  to  bring 
their  prophecies  nearer  home  to  people.    The  charac= 


10  LESSON  XIII 

teristic  of  Hebrew  singing  was  the  nasal  and  guttural 
voice.  Melodies,  no  doubt  of  much  charm,  some  very 
elaborate,  as  we  see  in  their  "col  nidrei,"  are  still  in 
use  at  the  present  day. 


Fig.  8^ 
The  Temple  of  Solomon. 


The  ancient  Greeks  have  left  us  a  complicated 
musical  system  which  remained  in  use  up  to  the 
middle  ages  of  the  Christian  era.  This  system  was 
entirely  based  on  melody  and  song.  The  instruments 
merely  gave  the  keynote  to  the  melody.  A  high 
standard  of  musical  feeling  can  be  traced  to  them  by 
the  fact  that  they  realized  and  felt  the  difference  of 
tonality  and  key.  Thus,  to  express  sadness,  they 
sang  in  what  they  called  the  Lydian  key.  Religion  was 
expressed  in  Doric,  courage  and  battle  cries  in  the 
Phrygian  key;  love  and  wine  in  the  Aeolian  key.  The 
oldest  song  of  which  we  have  any  record  was  a  funeral 
dirge  in  use  among  the  people  surrounding  the  Aegean 
Sea. 

It  was  sung  to  the  dying  Adonis,  symbolizing  the 
passing  away  of  the  spring  and  summer  season.  When 


LESSOr^  XIII 


11 


the  Argonauts  started  on  the  search  for  the  golden 
fleece,  Orpheus,  through  his  playing,  encouraged  the 
heroes  around  him  to  new  efforts  when  the  search 
seemed  to  fail.  He  changed  lions  and  tigers  into  lamb- 
like creatures,  made  stones  and  trees  to  talk  and  move ; 
all  of  which  is  symbolical  of  the  power  of  music  to 
tame  the  passions  and  to  arouse  lofty  sentiments. 

Amphion  surrounded  Thebes  with  a  wall  of  stones, 
causing  them  to  move  of  their  own  account  and  to 
group  themselves  into  a  wall,  at  the  sound  of  his  lyre. 
This,  of  course,  means  simply  that  the  workmen  were 
greatly  diverted  and  encouraged  during  the  work  of 


Fig.  90 
Acropolis  of  Athens. 


erecting  the  walls,  while  music  was  being  played  to 
them. 

Arion,  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  Greek  oratorical 
singers,  while  returning  from  Sicily  to  Corinth,  was 
threatened  with  death  by  pirates.  He  asked  them  as 
a  favor  to  allow  him  to  sing  once  more  before  they  took 


12 


LESSON  XIII 


his  life.  With  a  voice  reaching  far  out  into  the  sea, 
he  sang  his  last  hymn  to  the  gods  and  then  jumped 
into  the  sea,  but  a  Dolphin,  charmed  by  his  voice, 
took  him  on  his  back  and  carried  the  singer  to  Corinth. 

The  difference  between  our  official  candidates  and 
the  political  aspirants  in  Greece,  long  before  the 
Christian  era,  are  only  different  in  kind,  not  in  their 
aim  or  choice  of  means  to  get  there. 

Where  our  candidates  offer  clambakes,  barbecues 
or  oyster  suppers,  the  Greeks  engaged  singers  to  arouse 
enthusiasm  for  the  party  and  their  special  candidate. 

Even  ''Votes  for  Women"  were  advocated  by 
means  of  songs  and  music.  Sappho,  the  sublime 
poetess,  sang  not  only  of  love  divine,  but  also  of 
human  love,  and  gained  much  political  influence.  She 
was  followed  by  a  large  school  of  women  poets. 

With  the  ancient  Greeks,  singing  was  not  a  pas- 
time, but  a  means  of  culture.  Life  needs  proportion 
and  harmony,  says  Plato,  their  greatest  philosopher. 
In  accordance  with  this,  children  and  youths  were 
taught  oratory  and  music  in  order  to  learn  rhythm 
and  order,  which  developed  their  souls  and  gave  them 
self-control  to  meet  the  requirements  of  life. 

The  highest  point  of  artistic  development  was 
reached  in  Athens.  There  poetry,  oratory,  mimicry 
and  music  were  united.  Large  choruses  and  orches- 
tras were  employed  with  singers  and  orators.  Out  of 
this  grew  modern  Grand  Opera. 

The  Olympic  festivals,  where  races  and  contests  of 
various  kinds  took  place,  were  enriched  and  ennobled 
by  music  and  oratory.  A  special  hymn  was  composed 
in  honor  of  the  chief  visitor.  His  statue  was  erected 
in  one  of  the  holy  groves.  Over  3,000  of  such  statues 
were  in  existence  at  the  time  of  the  Persian  invasion. 
The  traditions  of  a  noble  art  inspired  the  ancient 


LESSON  XIII 


13 


Greeks  and  raised  their  civilization  to  a  higher  physical 
basis  than  any  which  humanity  has  had  before  or  since. 

Biit  ancient  Greece  is  no  more.  Their  philosophers 
died  out,  degenerated;  from  its  pedestal  of  nobility  and 
grandeur  music  descended  to  become  the  handmaiden 
of  the  charlatan  and  juggler.  The  singer  who  could 
sustain  a  tone  longest  or  the  one  who  could  execute  the 
most  difficult  trills  and  neck-breaking  passages  became 
the  favorite.  One  singer,  Moschos  by  name,  while 
executing  difficult  scales  and  trills,  also  could  turn 
his  tongue  upside  down  in  his  mouth,  and  this  trick 
pleased  the  people  more  than  the  noble  voice  and  deep 


Fig.  91 

Bacchic  Procession  (Greece). 


feeling  of  real  artists.  (You  see  the  importance  of  the 
tongue  everywhere,  in  India,  Judea  and  now  Greece.) 
The  vocalists  became  acrobats.  Art  became  mere 
glitter  and  show.  Bizarre  changes  of  harmony  and 
rhythm  became  popular.  Music  became  a  mere 
means  of  display  and  declined,  never  to  rise  again  in 
its  original  home.  Is  not  our  ''jazz"  music  the  fore- 
runner of  moral,  intellectual  and  physical  decay  also? 

Earthquakes  finally  ruined  the  Olympia  of  old  and 
buried  the  glory  of  Greece  under  mountains  of  sand. 
Two  hymns,  engraved  on  stone,  were  found  in  1893  by 


14 


LESSON  XIII 


French  scientists  in  Delphi,  where  Oracles  predicted 
the  failure  or  success  of  wars  to  be  undertaken,  or 
prophesied  the  future  to  private  inquirers.  These 
hymns  call  for  an  extended  compass  of  voice,  showing 
that  voice  culture  must  at  that  time  have  attained  a 
high  degree  of  development. 

The  ancients  knew  only  Greek  music.  The  Romans 
inherited  this  music  and  adopted  it  without  changing 
or  improving  it  in  any  way. 

These  historic  researches  may  not  interest  every 
one  of  my  students,  yet  all  will  profit  by  reading  what 
has  been  related,  I  want  to  show  you  that  in  your 
search  for  a  better  voice  you  are  occupying  a  really 
exalted  stage  of  human  development  where  mere 
physical  comfort  no  longer  satisfies.  You  have  reached 
a  spiritual  stage  of  development  which  drives  you 
forward.  No  better  evidence  of  human  growth  can 
be  found  than  a  splendid  voice.  Longfellow  realized 
this  in  his  ''Hyperion,"  where  he  says: 

"O,  how  wonderful  is  the  human  voice  1 
It  is,  indeed,  the  organ  of  the  soul!" 

EXERCISES  ON  LESSON  XIII 

The  instructions  I  give  you  are  identical  with  those 
that  have  won  for  my  method  the  praise  of  the  press 
and  the  singing  and  speaking  public  of  Europe.  They 
have  never  failed  to  produce  entirely  satisfactory 
results,  so  you  may  follow  them  with  the  utmost 
confidence. 

My  instructions  are  based  upon  exact  scientific 
foundation.  They  follow  Nature  and  Nature's  laws. 
In  the  past  the  vocal  apparatus  was  regarded  as  an 
instrument  furnished  to  us  by  Nature  in  a  fully  finished 
state  and  ready  for  use.    This  was  an  incorrect  sup- 


LESSON  XIII 


15 


position,  for  there  are  very  few  naturally  perfect  vocal 
organs. 

Depending  on  the  assumption  that  the  vocal  organ 
was  delivered  to  us  complete  and  perfect,  people  believed 
that  a  perfect  voice  could  always  be  obtained  if  certain 
singing  or  speaking  exercises  were  persisted  in.  Experi- 
ence has  taught  those  who  have  cared  to  observe  that 
to  overexercise  or  to  overuse  a  weak  or  imperfect  vocal 
instrument  is  to  ruin  it  and  make  the  voice  useless. 

The  vocal  organ  is  an  instrument  and  usually  a 
faulty  one.  Therefore,  the  secret  of  all  vocal  develop- 
ment depends  upon  correcting  the  fault  or  faults  that 
may  be  found  in  the  instrument.  When  the  vocal 
instrument  has  been  made  perfect  it  will  function 
perfectly,  but  not  before. 

The  fault  in  most  voices  is  purely  organic,  yet 
instructors  have  for  ages  tried  to  correct  that  unknown 
fault  by  means  of  speaking  and  singing  lessons,  having 
for  their  foundation  breathing  gymnastics,  distinct 
pronunciation,  etc.  The  reason  such  methods  accom- 
plish so  little  is  that  the  vocal  organs  require  some- 
thing besides  vocal  exercises  to  make  them  efficient. 
If  a  person  has  a  weak  or  husky  voice,  it  is  not  because 
he  speaks,  sings  and  breathes  incorrectly,  but  because 
some  part  of  his  vocal  instrument  is  imperfect  and  can- 
not function  properly.  All  voice  training  must  begin 
with  the  development  of  the  organ  itself.  Until  this  is 
accomplished,  nothing  else  can  be  attained,  and  mere 
singing  or  speaking  exercises  become  harmful. 

My  instructions  will  teach  you  something  that 
has  never  been  taught  by  any  other  method,  that  is, 
how  to  strengthen  and  build  up  the  vocal  instrument 
so  that  it  can  easily  do  the  work  required  of  it. 
Through  using  the  exercises  I  shall  give,  the  vocal 
organ  can  be  strengthened,  trained  and  perfected,  all 


16 


LESSON  XIII 


weakness  can  be  overcome  and  all  disturbances  result- 
ing from  sickness  can  be  removed.  It  is  to  be  under- 
stood that  some  people  will  obtain  quick  results  and 
that  others,  because  of  the  greater  defects  in  the  organ, 
will  have  to  practice  longer.  However,  even  the 
worst  cases  have  only  to  follow  these  instructions 
faithfully  and  persistantly  to  be  certain  of  obtaining  / 
complete  and  permanent  success.  When  once  the 
vocal  instrument  has  been  completely  developed,  the 
result  is  always  an  agreeable,  enduring  voice,  and  vocal 
defects  disappear. 

HOW  TO  OBTAIN  A  CLEAR,  DISTINCT  VOICE 

The  vocal  tone  originates  in  the  vocal  chords  (see 
Fig.  30)  which  vibrate  when  they  are  set  in  motion 
by  the  breath.  Some  chords  are  thin  and  vibrate 
easily  and  therefore  give  forth  light  tones,  while  others 
are  thick  and  give  forth  strong,  full  tones.  Usually 
the  chords  are  so  undeveloped  and  so  incorrectly  ad- 
justed or  so  relaxed  that  the  person  singing  or  speaking 
vibrates  but  a  part  of  the  outer  surface,  instead  of 
vibrating  the  entire  chord.  In  such  cases  the  voice 
is  small,  thin  and  frequently  husky.  Full-sized  flexible 
chords  are  necessary  for  a  full,  strong  voice.  Fortu- 
nately there  exist,  in  connection  with  the  vocal  chords, 
certain  muscles  which,  when  developed,  will  strengthen 
and  enlarge  the  chords  and  give  them  a  larger  vibrat- 
ing area. 

To  speak  or  sing,  the  vocal  chords  must  be 
stretched.  Loose  or  slack  chords  can  emit  no  more 
sound  than  slack  violin  strings.  All  vocal  sound 
depends  upon  the  size  and  tension  of  the  chords.  Thick 
chords,  while  more  desirable  than  thin  chords,  are 
naturally  heavier  and  therefore  difficult  to  stretch.  But 
if  one  wants  to  emit  a  large  or  powerful  sound,  the 


LESSON  XIII 


17 


chords  must  be  stretched.  Additional  strength  is 
needed  to  do  this  stretching,  and  that  is  just  what  this 
method  of  exercises  will  supply.  It  controls  the  size 
of  the  chords  and  gives  the  necessary  stretching  or 
tensioning  strength.  The  all-important  muscles  are 
being  developed  and  made  stronger. 

Many  persons  possess  vocal  chords  that  are  quite 
sufficient  in  size  for  any  purpose,  but  their  chord- 
stretching  muscle  lacks  the  strength  to  do  its  work. 
In  fact,  in  very  few  persons  is  this  muscle  of  sufficient 
strength  to  stretch  the  chords  to  their  entire  capacity. 
This  defect  is  the  most  prevalent  cause  of  a  weak 
voice.  It  is  also  the  cause  of  many  throat  diseases 
and  of  stammering.  Therefore,  the  problem  of  all 
would-be  singers  and  speakers  is  how  to  develop  the 
power  of  stretching  the  vocal  chords.  These  instruc- 
tions solve  that  problem  for  all  purposes. 

To  find  out  in  what  way  the  vocal  chords  are 
stretched  we  must  review  our  study  of  the  larynx. 
The  vocal  chords  are  located  in  the  so-called  thyroid 
cartilage,  or  Adam's  apple,  shown  in  Fig.  30.  This 
cartilage  rests  upon  the  saddle-like  ring  cartilage 
(No.  4).  Above  the  thyroid,  and  closely  connected 
with  it,  is  the  hyoid  or  tongue  bone.  These  three 
parts  are  closely  joined  during  sound  so  that  they 
practically  resemble  a  continuous  tube,  like  the  three 
jointed  parts  of  a  flute.  From  these  two  cartilages 
and  the  hyoid  bone,  muscles  run  down  to  the  breast 
and  collar  bones,  up  to  the  hard  palate  and  skull, 
forward  to  the  chin,  and  backward  to  the  cervical 
spine.  These  muscles  serve  to  hold  the  larynx  in  its 
natural  position  and  at  the  same  time  to  stretch  the 
vocal  chords.  All  muscles  running  from  the  larynx 
to  other  parts  of  the  body  are  attached  to  bones  which 
give  them  a  firm  hold;  but  the  muscle  from  the  hyoid 


18 


LESSON  XIII 


bone  to  the  tongue  has  no  such  firm  connection  because 
it  grows  out  of  the  easily-moved  hyoid  bone  at  one 
end  into  the  soft  tongue  at  the  other. 

Doctor  Bennati,  a  French  speciaHst  for  diseases  of 
the  throat  and,  in  the  past  century,  a  very  celebrated 
personality,  not  alone  because  he  was  the  professional 
doctor  for  the  Royal  Italian  Opera  in  Paris,  but  also 
because  he  personally  treated  the  most  celebrated 
singers,  left  behind  him  his  experiences  in  a  work 
entitled,  ''Recherches  sur  la  mecanisme  de  la  voix 
humaine."  In  this  work  he  complains  that  all  voice 
methods  have  overlooked  the  importance  of  the  tongue 
muscles.  He  demonstrates  that  when  the  muscle  of 
the  hyoid  bone  is  severed,  or  when  it  is  paralyzed, 
only  a  weak,  dull  tone  can  be  produced.  "This  is  no 
hypothesis,"  he  says,  "but  a  fact  which  I  proved  by 
many  experiments  on  animals  and  in  the  experiences 
of  my  own  private  practice."  He  recalls  the  singers 
Mombelli,  Sontag,  Fodor,  Tosi,  David,  Gentili  and 
Rubini.  "In  all  of  these  artists — and  they  are  even 
now  considered  the  exemplars  of  a  lost  art — the  tongue 
muscles  are  throughout  strong  and  active.  When  one 
lays  his  finger  upon  the  spot  where  the  muscles  are 
attached  he  feels  them  as  hard  as  stone.  Further,  one 
observes  a  noticeably  large  and  much  developed  tongue 
in  those  singers  whose  tones  are  particularly  big  and 
resonant."  The  great  singers  Catalani,  Lablache  and 
Santini  are  given  as  examples.  It  is  therefore  emphati- 
cally pointed  out  that  weak  voices  arise  from  the 
tongue  being  too  dead  or  too  weak  to  discharge  its 
functions  correctly. 

That  you  may  fully  understand  the  importance  of 
the  exercises  which  I  shall  prescribe,  I  will  again  state 
that  the  purpose  of  each  is  to  strengthen  and  build  up 
the  deficient  or  weak  parts  of  the  vocal  organ.  My 


LESSON  XIII 


19 


method  differs  from  all  others  in  that  it  first  strength- 
ens the  weak  parts  by  silent  muscular  exercises  before 
calling  on  these  parts  to  do  the  work  of  speaking  or 
singing.  That  is,  they  are  made  fully  able  to  do  the 
work  required  of  them  before  they  are  given  the  work 
to  do.  As  a  result  the  work  becomes  easy  to  do  and 
is  well  done. 

As  you  practice  these  instructions,  symptoms  or 
signs  will  appear  from  time  to  time  which  will  prove 
to  you  that  you  are  making  definite  progress.  These 
proofs  will  be  of  such  a  nature  that  you  can  see,  feel 
and  hear  them.  You  need  not  be  told  what  improve- 
ment you  are  making,  for  you  will  know  it  yourself. 
This  fact  is  of  the  greatest  significance,  since  it  raises 
voice  training  from  the  guesswork  and  uncertainty  of 
the  past  into  the  light  of  exact  knowledge. 

THE  TONGUE 

If  you  would  speak  or  sing  correctly,  you  must  NOT 
move  the  tongue  INTENTIONALLY,  but  must  think 
of  it  as  lying  loosely  in  the  bed  of  the  mouth.  The 
various  positions  which  the  tongue  must  assume  in  pro- 
onuncing  the  vowels  and  consonants  should  be  taken 
involuntarily. 

The  tongue  is  the  most  mobile  member  of  the 
human  body  and  one  of  the  most  difficult  to  control. 
For  the  purpose  of  correct  speaking  and  singing  we 
have,  however,  only  to  control  one  part,  and  that  is 
the  hyo-glossus  muscle.  But  to  do  even  this  often 
requires  time,  much  patience  and  perseverance. 

THE  BEAT  OF  THE  TONGUE 

If  you  have  practiced  all  the  previous  exercises,  as 
instructed,  your  tongue  should  be  ready  for  the 
following  test: 


20 


I.ESSON  XIII 


Place  your  little  finger  under  the  tongue  in  the 
manner  previously  explained  and,  with  forefinger  of 
the  other  hand,  touch  and  stimulate  the  upper  sur- 
face of  the  tongue,  far  back  toward  the  throat.  The 
hyo-glossus  muscle  should  contract  and  thus  form  a  deep 
groove  in  the  tongue.  When  this  contraction  occurs 
it  will  be  felt  upon  the  little  finger  as  a  beat  or  sudden 
pressure.  As  soon  as  the  tongue  is  relaxed  it  will 
spring  away  from  the  finger  and  the  pressure  will 
disappear.  Repeat  this  test,  but  this  time  try  to 
form  the  groove  without  the  stimulation.  The  beat 
on  the  finger  should  again  be  felt,  but  it  may  not  be 
as  strong  as  before.  The  principal  thing  for  you  at 
this  time  is  to  become  conscious  of  this  beat.  All  the 
previous  exercises  were  given  for  the  purpose  of 
developing  this  beat  and  the  aim  of  all  the  exercises 
which  follow  will  be  to  emphasize  it.  If  you  do  not 
feel  it,  you  must  continue  practicing  the  previous 
exercises,  especially  review  Lesson  VI,  until  you  do. 
Do  not  attempt  to  practice  any  of  the  advanced 
exercises  until  you  have  had  the  desired  results  from 
the  former. 

THE  ATTACK— CAUSE  AND  EFFECT 

Physiologically  considered,  every  spoken  tone 
results  because  the  vocal  chords  are  brought  into  a 
vocal  position  and  held  there  by  the  muscles  which 
move  and  control  them.  When  the  tongue  rests 
quietly  on  the  little  finger,  it  is  felt  as  a  soft,  fleshy 
substance,  but  as  soon  as  the  groove  is  formed,  the 
under  surface  is  felt  as  a  swelling  with  more  or  less 
of  an  elastic  firmness.  When  this  firmness  is  felt,  it  is 
a  proof  that  the  tongue  has  contracted  without  chang- 
ing its  natural  position. 

If  the  beat  of  the  muscle  takes  place  at  the  moment 
of  enunciation,  you  have  the  positive  proof  that  the 


LESSON  XIIl 


21 


vocal  chords  are  stretched.  Henceforth,  practice  the 
vowels  daily  with  the  little  finger  under  the  tongue. 
You  should  always  anticipate  a  loud  tone  and  take  care 
that  with  each  vowel  the  tongue  beats  or  presses 
slightly  against  the  finger.  You  will  notice  that  the 
pressure  remains  constant  as  long  as  the  voice  is  held, 
but  that  it  disappears  the  instant  the  voice  ceases.  It 
is  advisable  frequently  to  place  the  finger  under  the 
cricoid  cartilage  to  make  sure  that  you  are  not  forcing 
the  larynx  up  or  down.  Concentrate  your  attention 
more  and  more  upon  the  tongue,  as  though  every  tone 
came  from  it,  for  it  is  only  when  the  tongue  is  educated 
that  a  good  tone  can  be  produced.  Habit  plays  in 
this,  as  in  all  things,  an  important  role.  In  practicing 
these  exercises  you  are  forming  a  vocal  habit,  a  habit 
that  will  later  control  you  and  make  you  use  your 
voice  correctly. 

In  the  lesson  following  this  one,  speakers,  singers, 
and  those  with  defective  voices,  will  be  told  how  to 
employ  in  practical  everyday  life  what  we  have  learned 
so  far.  I  am  sure  all  of  you  will  appreciate  the  great 
progress  you  have  made  in  a  short  time,  when  you 
have  seen  the  next  lesson. 


22 


LESSON  XI. H 


EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  13 

(1)  Was  not  emotion  the  original  cause  of  lan- 
guage or  voice? 

(2)  Do  you  see  the  important  relation  of  the 
speaker  and  singer  of  old  to  the  newspaper,  the  Govern- 
ment and  churches  of  the  present  day? 

(3)  Could  we  have  had  any  civilization  at  all 
without  the  voice? 

(4)  Do  vocal  defects  arise  from  habit  or  from 
organic  causes? 

(5)  Where  does  the  voice  originate? 

(6)  Can  loose  or  slack  vocal  chords  produce  a 
good  voice? 

(7)  What  is  the  characteristic  of  the  great  singers 
considered  in  relation  to  their  tongue? 

(8)  Should  you  try  to  move  the  tongue  in  speak- 
ing or  singing? 

(9)  What  is  the  correct  attack? 

(10)  Does  your  voice  now  come  ''from  the 
tongue?" 


LESSON  XIV 
THE  HISTORY  OF  VOICE  AND 

VOICE  METHODS— (Continued) 

THE  CHRISTIAN  ERA 

It  was  Paul,  the  noble  carpet  weaver,  to  whose 
talent  for  organization  we  owe  the  spread  of  Christi- 
anity. It  was  he  who  carried  the  divine  teaching  of 
his  Master  to  all  the  world. 

His  Master,  ''JEHOVAH  Himself  in  the  garb  of  a 
Son  of  men,"  moved  from  place  to  place,  fasted, 
preached,  worked  miracles,  and  at  the  last  left  only 
eleven  Apostles  and  the  poorest  of  the  poor  as  disciples. 

He  countenanced  the  paradox  that  God  could  be 
crucified  like  a  common  malefactor.  All  seemed  lost. 
Humanity  was  on  the  point  of  returning  to  paganism 
when  Saul  kindled  his  torch  at  the  fast  waning  flame  of 
the  discouraged  followers  of  the  Divine  Master.  He 
went  out  to  the  heathen  and  preached  with  "tongues  of 
fire,"  with  the  spoken  and  written  word,  until  he  could 
no  longer  count  all  the  poor  in  heart,  all  the  heavy 
laden,  all  those  who  had  nothing  to  hope  for.  The 
blind  and  the  lame,  the  deaf  and  the  dumb,  all  who 
were  despised  and  persecuted,  became  his  church. 
His  followers  were  fishermen,  slaves,  and  outcasts; 
all  of  them  came  and  believed. 

The  "sectarians"  aroused  antagonism.  They  were 
thrown  to  wild  beasts,  covered  with  pitch  to  make 
human  torches  and  in  the  end,  instead  of  being  exter- 
minated, these  idealistic  "theorists"  succeeded  in 
establishing  a  new  religion.  The  destroying  dreamers 
and  unpractical  "theorists"  changed  into  martyrs  and 
believers  who  transformed  an  entire  world. 

1 

®  Printed  in  Chicago,  111.,  U.  S.  A. 


2  i.ESSON  XT\' 

These  believers  gradually  organized  themselves. 
The  different  communities  or  churches  chose  as 
presbyters,  men  of  experience  and  moral  worth.  In 
secluded,  secret  places  they  met  to  pray  and  to  praise 
God  in  song,  as  witness  the  following  quotations: 


Fig.  92 

•^t.  Mark  and  St.  Paul— -Durer. 


LESSON  XIV 


3 


Paul,  writing  to  the  Ephesians,  5:  19:  "Speaking 
to  yourselves  in  psalms  and  hymns  and  spiritual  songs, 
singing  and  making  melody  in  your  heart  to  the  Lord." 

Epistle  of  James,  5:  13: /'Is  any  among  you 
afflicted?  Let  him  pray.  Is  any  merry?  Let  him 
sing  psalms." 

St.  Matthew,  26:  30:  ''And  when  they  had  sung  a 
hymn,  they  went  out  into  the  mount  of  Olives." 

It  is  plain  from  this  that  the  music  of  the  early 
Christian  church  was  Hebrew,  but  as  the  churches  at 
Corinth,  Ephesus,  Thessalonica,  Galatia,  etc.,  were 
Greek,  the  Greek  music  and  the  Hebrew  music  amal- 
gamated and  were  thus  accepted  in  the  church  at  Rome, 
which  became  the  central  Christian  church. 

The  great  and  sincere  spirituality  of  the  early 
Christians,  those  simple,  self-sacrificing  and  pious 
persons  who  gladly  laid  down  their  lives  for  an  ideal, 
introduced  a  new  power,  the  greatest  of  all  powers, 
"humility."  Their  music  must  have  been  of  great 
simplicity,  but  deep,  tender  feeling.  Nothing  is  left 
to  us  of  their  melodies,  which  must  have  been  mostly 
sad.  Only  when  they  sang  of  the  "Bride  of  Christ," 
some  joyful  and  jubilant  strains  may  have  brightened 
the  usually  somber  hymns. 

St.  Augustine  tells  us  that  in  the  church  of  Alex- 
andria the  psalms  were  sung  on  an  almost  uniform 
pitch,  so  that  they  were  spoken  rather  than  sung.  It 
is  also  related  that  Bishop  Ignatius  had  a  dream  in 
which  he  saw  Christ  on  his  throne,  surrounded  by  the 
heavenly  host,  but  the  angels  sang  not  together,  but 
separately  in  groups.  This  made  such  an  impression  on 
him  that  he  introduced  group  singing  in  the  churches. 
Out  of  this  grew  the  antiphonal  style  of  singing  still 
in  use. 


4 


LESSON  XIV 


As  early  as  the  fourth  century,  schools  were  estab- 
lished to  train  singers  for  the  churches,  and  to  intro- 
duce a  uniform  system  of  singing  in  all  the  churches. 
Now,  for  the  first  time,  appears  a  system  of  writing 
and  preserving  the  melodies  in  use.  This  system, 
*'Neuma,"  resembles  our  modern  shorthand  system. 
Only  the  pitch  could  be  fixed  by  this  system,  without 
taking  into  account  the  time  and  duration  of  the  notes. 
Pope  Gregory  (7-8  century),  who  called  himself  a 
''Servant  of  Servants,"  was  in  reality  a  master  of 
masters.     He    enlarged    the    musical    system  and 

Frohable  solution^ 


^'   ^  ^   n,    ^    <■  ^   ^  ^  1^  ^  S 


CeS'li    cffi-Io  -  rum  lau  -  --  'da-te  De-ua 


Po-pu  •*  ■  "  »   le    me  -  «-  -^«*-  »iis 

Fig.  93 

Musital  Notation  in  the  Fourth  Century. 


LESSON  XIV 


5 


reformed  some  abuses  which  had  crept  into  the  com- 
munity singing.  He  introduced  the  choir.  His  music 
was  especially  designed  for  the  priest  and  the  singers 
who  formed  a  "corona"  or  half  circle  around  the  altar. 

The  melodies  moved  in  slow  measure,  dignified  and 
austere.  He  designated  and  himself  composed  melo- 
dies which  must  be  sung  to  a  certain  prescribed  text, 
thereby  introducing  ritualistic  singing.  These  melodies 
and  the  text  to  which  alone  they  must  be  sung,  were 
written  and  bound  in  a  book  which  was  fastened  by 
a  chain  to  the  altar  at  the  church  of  St.  Peter  in  Rome. 

This  period  might  be  called  the  musical  reformation. 
It  has  had  a  far-reaching  influence  down  to  our  own 
day.  Gregory  enlarged  the  schools.  Special  training 
was  now  given  to  boys,  and  this  training  included  all 
the  then  known  elements  of  education.  The  Christian 
religion  alone  was  too  austere,  too  serious  to  succeed 
quickly  in  converting  the  world.  Necessary,  at  least 
in  the  early  periods,  was  a  certain  amount  of  pomp 
and  grandeur,  such  as  the  Romans  had  used  to  subdue 
the  world  to  their  power.  Added  to  this  pomp  and 
show,  music  became  one  of  the  great  attractions. 

The  magnificently  decorated  churches,  the  soft  and 
colorful  light,  the  impressive  tones  of  the  organ  and 
the  highly-trained  voices  of  the  choirs  turned  crude 
hearts  to  spiritual  things  and  paved  the  way  for  an 
astonishingly  rapid  spread  of  the  religion  of  Christ. 
Men  could  not  at  once  accept  the  purely  spiritual  ideals 
of  truth.  They  needed  visible,  material  things  to 
arouse  their  inner  consciousness,  and  music  is  among 
the  strongest  factors  in  arousing  the  senses. 

The  civilizing  influence  of  the  church,  as  we  see, 
was  greatly  assisted  at  that  time  by  music.  This 
would  be  just  as  true  today,  had  not  the  church 


LESSON  XIV 


Fig.  94 
Transfiguration — Raphael. 


largely  lost  the  leadership  it  once  had;  it  therefore 
remains  to  the  individual  himself  to  utilize  the  lesson 
of  art  for  his  own  comfort  and  development. 

When  the  great  emperor  Charlemagne  was  in 
Rome,  he  was  so  deeply  impressed  with  the  music 
there  that  he  determined  to  establish  music  schools 
in  Germany.  The  Pope  sent  him  teachers,  who 
traveled  over  Charlemagne's  dominions,  and  by  their 
efforts  quickly  established  the  spiritual  power  of 
music  in  the  churches. 


LESSON  XIV 


7 


About  the  ninth  century,  a  monk,  "Huckbald"  by 
name,  improved  the  system  of  note  writing  by  using 
letters  instead  of  signs  as  heretofore.  In  the  tenth 
century  another  monk,  Guido,  of  Arezzo,  improved 
the  note  system  still  more  and  it  became  possible 


Fig.  95 
Charlemagne=D  urer. 


8 


LESSON  XIV 


to  leave  definite  records  of  the  melodies  and  hymns 
then  in  use. 

I  have  in  my  possession  some  of  the  old  tunes, 
dating  back  to  the  eighth  century.  Among  the 
illustrations  you  will  find  a  record  of  the  oldest  styles 
of  writing  music.  Compare  it  with  the  modern  style 
and  you.  will  realize  the  vast  advance  humanity  has 
made. 

The  Germans,  the  French  and  the  English,  to  whom 
this  new  art  was  brought,  were  not  musical.  Those 
who  were  sent  to  teach  them  despised  these  crude 
barbarians  whose  voices,  they  said,  were  like  the  rolling 
of  cartwheels  on  a  stony  road.  Their  drunkenness  and 
rude  manners  were  an  offense  to  their  Roman  teachers, 
accustomed  to  a  high  state  of  civilization.  Our  fore- 
fathers were  good  fighters  and  good  drinkers,  but  poor 
singers.  None  the  less  the  glory  that  was  Rome's  has 
long  since  departed  to  make  room  for  the  civilization 
of  the  then  despised  barbarians. 

Hitherto,  and  up  to  the  tenth  century,  all  music, 
whether  singing  or  instrumental,  was  in  unison;  that 
is,  even  choruses  sang  only  the  melody  of  one  single 
voice;  not  even  the  Greeks  seem  to  have  felt  the 
monotony  of  such  music. 

The  evolution  of  humanity  proceeds  by  very  slow 
degrees.  Centuries  pass  and  man  is  seemingly  the 
same  as  he  was  in  the  beginning.  The  Greek  tragedies, 
as  compared  with  Shakespeare's  "Hamlet"  or  Goethe's 
"Faust,"  are  exceedingly  simple.  So  is  the  music 
of  the  past,  as  compared  to  the  music  of  modern  times, 
childishly  simple. 

England  first  perceived  the  monotony  of  homo- 
phonic  or  one-voice  music.  Gradually  attempts  at 
adding  other  voices  and  melodies  gained  ground.  The 
first  change  made  was  simply  the  addition  of  an  octave 


LESSON  XIV 


9 


to  the  melody.  Later  the  fifth  of  the  tonic  and, 
about  the  thirteenth  century,  the  third  tone  of  the 
tonic  were  added  by  German  writers.  The  Netherlands 
and  France  dominated  the  evolution  of  music  up  to 
the  time  of  the  Reformation. 

The  cultured  portions  of  China  and  of  India, 
together  with  the  peoples  around  the  Mediterranean, 
did  their  best  to  carry  civilization  forward. 


Fig.  96 

Germans  Crossing  the  Rhine — Fourth  Century. 

Meanwhile,  the  barbarian  Celtic  and  Germanic 
peoples,  vegetating  in  their  swamps  and  forests,  no 
doubt  were  satisfied  with  the  world  as  they  found  it. 
Existence  was  simple.  Forests  and  rivers  furnished 
food  in  plenty.  The  land  was  free  for  their  cattle. 
Neither  assessor  nor  gasman  made  himself  feared. 
Suddenly  the  southern  races  invaded  their  countries, 
and  changed  conditions  followed  this  invasion.  New 
ideas  and  new  ambitions  were  kindled  in  the  heart  of 
the  northern  man  and  perhaps  more  so  in  the  heart  of 


10 


LESSON  XIV 


the  northern  woman.  While  repelling  the  invaders 
they  were  conquered  themselves,  since  their  old, 
simple,  natural  style  of  living  gave  way  to  the  more 
complicated  and  ambitious  practices  of  the  southern 
people. 

In  his  endeavors  to  eject  the  foreigner,  and  later 
on  from  a  desire  for  wealth  and  lust  of  conquest,  he 
in  time  invaded  the  southern  countries. 

With  elemental  powers  of  destruction  these  north- 
ern people  overran  the  classic  countries  of  Greece  and 
Rome.    While  they  worked  immeasurable  harm  to  the 


Fig.  97 
Roman  Forum. 


art  of  that  period  they  finally  established  a  newer, 
broader  and  better  civilization.  They  introduced  a 
measure  of  truth  and  moral  sincerity  which  had  been 
lacking  in  the  antecedent  periods. 

The  classic  period  of  Greece  and  Rome,  beautiful 
and  elevated  as  it  was,  lacked  spiritual  qualities  and 
therefore  was  not  strong  enough  to  withstand  the 
assault  of  the  barbarian  hordes.    The  elements  which 


LESSON  XIV 


11 


the  Celtic  and  Germanic  peoples  added  to  those  of  the 
south  were  needed  for  a  broader  and  more  lasting 
evolution  of  the  human  race. 

EXERCISES  TO  LESSON  XIV 

The  remarks  and  exercises  which  follow  are  for 
the  speaker,  singer  and  those  with  defective  voices. 
These  exercises  are  of  the  utmost  importance  and 
should  be  carefully  and  frequently  studied.  You  will 
get  most  convincing  proof  not  only  of  the  correctness 
of  my  method,  but  also  of  its  ''infallibility."  I  am 
emphasizing  this  not  from  a  sense  of  boastfulness,  but 
to  encourage  you — to  make  you  feel  that  you  are  on 
an  absolutely  straight  road. 

Of  necessity  some  of  my  students  must  battle  for 
victory.  That  is,  they  must  practice  hard  for  final 
and  complete  success.  This  they  can  do  only  when 
they  are  convinced  that  the  method  which  I  give  them 
will  really  bring  results.  I  am  trying  to  teach  you  not 
only  my  method,  but  the  genesis  of  the  method; 
and  to  this  end  I  want  to  shed  light  on  the  subject 
from  many  angles  so  that  you  may  see  as  clearly  as 
I  do. 

Very  few  public  speakers  have  what  the  public 
speaker  needs  first  of  all,  and,  in  many  cases,  most  of 
all — a  good  speaking  voice,  a  suitable  and  adequate 
voice  for  public  speaking.  A  few,  a  very  few  have 
such  a  voice  by  nature  and,  even  where  Nature  confers 
the  blessing  of  a  voice  of  adequate  strength,  she  seldom 
adds  the  desirable  flexibility  or  modulation.  So, 
whether  it  be  a  stronger  voice  or  a  more  manageable 
one  that  the  speaker  needs,  his  only  method  of  acquir- 
ing it  is  to  use  his  will  power  and,  with  the  help  of  my 
exercises,  to  develop  the  needed  flexibility. 


12 


LESSON  XIV 


While  even  those  whose  voices  are  naturally  strong 
need  to  study  how  to  modulate  them  and  make  them 
flexible,  there  are  vastly  more  whose  voices  are  not 
nearly  strong  enough  for  purposes  of  public  speaking. 
These,  of  course,  must  practice  and  continue  to 
practice,  often  for  a  very  long  period. 

The  main  and  final  exercise  for  strengthening  the 
voice  has  not  yet  been  given  to  you.  It  will  be  given 
when  you  are  ready  to  understand  and  accept  it.  That 
last  and  final  exercise  will  develop  a  strength  of  voice 
such  as  you  have  never  dreamed  of  as  being  possible 
in  your  own  case. 

Then  there  is  that  large  unfortunate  class  of 
persons  who  stammer  or  lisp,  or  who  have  other  vocal 
impediments.  To  them,  my  exercises  are  a  matter  of 
life  or  death.  I  have  personally  taught  some  of  these 
individuals  and  in  every  case  they  responded  to  the 
exercise  with  surprising  speed.  That  is,  so  long  as 
'they  consciously  talked  "out  of  the  tongue"  as  I  call 
it,  which  physiologically  considered,  means  by  the 
activity  of  the  hyo-glossi  muscle,  they  not  only  did 
not  stammer,  but  they  could  not  stammer. 

I  remember  the  case  of  a  high-school  student  who 
stammered  very  badly.  After  a  short  period,  I  asked 
him  to  bring  his  father  and  mother  along.  When  they 
came,  I  had  him  count  quickly  up  to  one  thousand,  and 
afterward  read  several  pages.  Would  you  believe  that 
neither  his  father  nor  mother  could  count  or  read  in  as 
good  a  voice  as  he  and  not  nearly  as  rapidly,  though 
their  normal  speech  was  good? 

Bear  in  mind  the  further  fact  that  his  voice  was 
much  stronger  and  better  than  theirs,  just  as  long  as 
he  observed  the  one  little  thing  which  you  have  been 
taught  so  far;  that  is,  that  each  tone  must  be  produced 
with  the  ''beat  of  the  tongue." 


LESSON  XIV  13 

His  stammering,  and  it  was  very  pronounced, 
appeared  after  some  illness  in  childhood.  Of  course 
he  had  tried  methods  of  cure  and  schools  for  stammer- 
ers. His  tongue,  like  that  of  most  stammerers,  was 
drawn  back  from  the  teeth  and  up  toward  the  roof  of 
the  mouth,  and  there  held  rigid  and  hard.  In  this 
position  the  hyo-glossi  muscle  could  not  contract.  It 
was  bound  and  held  immovable  by  the  extreme  con- 
traction of  the  jaw  and  chin  muscles. 

The  stammerer's  case  is  identical  with  the  harsh 
voice  of  the  speaker  and  singer,  only  his  case  is  more 
aggravated  than  theirs.  In  all  three  cases,  the  jaw 
muscles  interfere  and  make  impossible  the  correct 
action  of  the  hyo-glossi  muscles. 

Now,  to  many  it  will  seem  that  the  cure  would 
consist  in  relaxing  the  jaw  and  chin  muscles,  but  this 
is  not  the  case.  If  you  were  to  try  this,  and  provided 
you  succeeded  in  relaxing  the  jaw  and  chin  muscles, 
you  would  at  the  same  time  relax  the  important, 
legitimate  tongue  muscles  also,  and  your  later  case 
would  be  worse  than  the  first,  for  instead  of  having 
a  loud  and  harsh  voice,  you  would  have,  at  best, 
a  weak  and  husky  voice.  The  reasons  for  this  will  be 
explained  in  the  lessons  on  "  Interfering  Muscles."  To 
explain  this  now  would  merely  confuse  you. 

The  person  with  a  weak  voice  is  in  some  ways  worse 
ofif  than  either  of  the  other  three,  because  a  weak  voice 
indicates  weak  tongue  muscles  and  it  takes  much  time  to 
make  these  muscles  strong.  But  in  another  sense,  the 
weak  voice  does  not  have  to  unlearn  and  overcome 
habits  of  wrong  speech,  of  stiffening,  as  do  harsh  voices 
and  stammerers.  The  weak  voice  merely  needs  to 
strengthen  the  weak  muscles  and  is  all  right  ever  after. 

What  I  have  said  about  the  speaker  applies  just  as 
strongly  to  the  singer.    The  singer,  of  course,  does 


14  LESSON  XIV 

• 

not  stammer,' but  many  singers'  voices  are  hard  and 
harsh,  or  shrill,  and  for  the  same  reason.  They  also 
use  their  jaw  and  chin  muscles,  often  to  the  exclusion 
of  the  only  muscles  which  really  produce  a  sweet  voice. 
For  this  reason  the  training  of  the  speaker  and  of  the 
singer  is  identical.  The  singer  must  first  apply  his 
knowledge  of  voice  to  speaking.  Incidentally  this  will 
help  his  diction  in  singing.  His  enunciation  will  be 
as  distinct  in  singing  as  it  is  in  speaking.  The  singer 
and  speaker  part  company  only  when  it  comes  to  the 
matter  of  range.  The  speaker  needs  but  a  small 
range;  the  singer  must  have  a  compass  of  at  least  two 
octaves.  Both  speaker  and  singer  must  be  able  to 
modulate  from  loud  to  soft,  but  the  singer  needs  some 
special  effects,  such  as  the  Italian  Bel  Canto,  or 
legato  singing,  the  staccato,  martellato,  portamento, 
swelling  and  decreasing  the  same  tone,  echo  effects, 
trills  and  rapid  runs,  etc.  All  these  and  other  points 
will  be  thoroughly  covered  in  the  course  of  these  lessons, 
but  for  the  purpose  of  purely  vocal  development  all 
classes  of  vocalists  go  together. 

If  you  have  acquired  false  habits  of  speaking  and 
singing,  do  not  think  that  you  can  at  once  eliminate 
them.  Therefore,  if  your  jaws  are  stiff,  or  if  you  feel 
any  tightness  in  the  chest  or  abdomen,  for  the  present 
pay  no  attention  to  that,  but  concentrate  all  your 
efforts,  all  your  attention,  upon  acquiring  a  flexible 
tongue. 

You  are  being  taught  a  positive  ''do"  and  not  a 
negative  ''don't." 

When  you  know  the  right  way,  when  you  have 
learned  the  right  direction,  you  will  gradually  elimi- 
nate wrong  habits  and  forget  them. 

I  assume  that  you  have  by  this  time  mastered  the 
tongue;  that  you  can  make  the  groove  with  utmost 


LESSON  XIV 


15 


ease,  without  moving  either  the  palate  or  the  larynx. 

Have  you  noticed  two  special  points? 
U   The  first  is,  that  when  you  make  the  groove  cor- 
rectly, your  throat  feels  "open,"  free,  and  loose. 

The  second  point  is,  that  when  you  place  the  little 
finger  under  one  side  of  the  tongue  and  make  the 
groove,  you  feel  a  distinct  pressing  downward  of  the 
tongue  upon  the  finger. 

I  call  this  pressure  "beat,^'  somewhat  like  a  heart 
beat.  This  ''beat"  (this  pressure  on  the  finger)  as  the 
groove  is  made,  is  the  physiological  "Cause  of  Every 
Tone"  whether  you  speak  or  sing.  Without  this  beat 
no  good  tone  or  voice  is  ever  possible.  It  is  like  the 
tick  or  tapping  of  a  telegraph  instrument,  each  tap 
releases  a  current,  each  tongue  beat  releases  a  tone. 
When  the  tongue  beat  is  lacking,  the  tone  is  inferior 
or  even  bad.  The  beat  is  the  cause  of  good  tone.  The 
absence  of  the  beat  has  as  its  consequence  a  poor 
tone. 

This  is  absolute  and  final!   Never  forget  this! 

Now  take  your  mirror  and  torch.  Place  the  little 
finger,  as  taught,  under  the  tongue.  Make  sure  that 
your  finger  lies  directly  in  line  with  the  string  of  the 
tongue;  that  is,  in  the  center.  Make  the  groove  three 
times,  and  notice  the  ''beat."  If  any  of  you  do 
not  feel  the  beat  distinctly  and  rather  strongly,  you 
should  continue  to  stimulate  the  back  of  the  tongue 
with  .the  tickler.  When  the  rear  part  makes  the 
groove,  the  front  part  of  the  tongue  will  press  (beat) 
upon  the  finger. 

Now,  in  your  most  natural  voice  call  out  "one," 
"two,"  "three,"  etc.,  up  to  ten.  Many  of  you  will  feel 
the  beat  on  every  count,  some  only  on  a  few  counts, 
usually  on  three,  six  and  eight.  A  few  may  get  no 
beat  at  alL    Be  sure  you  speak  loudly. 


16 


LESSON  XIV 


Three  causes  may  contribute  to  the  non-success 
with  the  beat.  The  first  cause  is  that  the  groove  is 
not  being  made  in  the  extreme  rear  of  the  tongue. 

The  second  cause  is  that  in  a  few  persons  the 
tongue  is  very,  very  weak;  so  weak  in  fact  that  the 
contraction  of  the  muscles  cannot  be  felt  at  all. 

The  third  cause,  and  one  nearly  always  found  in 
stammerers,  is  that  the  tongue  and  throat  are  held 
extremely  rigid  and  unyielding. 

Those  who  get  a  beat  all  the  time,  or  most  of  the 
time,  should  have  a  very  fine,  even  splendid,  voice  in 
a  year.  If  they  have  not,  they  won't  get  any  sympathy 
from  me,  for  they  have  a  most  wonderful  start. 

Those  with  very  weak  muscles  naturally  require 
more  time  to  bring  out  the  voice,  but  they  can  abso- 
lutely rely  on  a  fine  voice  if  they  keep  up  the  final 
practice,  which  will  come  later  in  the  course.  I  can 
positively  assure  them,  because  I  myself  was  perhaps 
the  weakest  among  the  weak,  and  I  now  equal  in 
volume  and  quality  almost  any  orator  and  many 
singers. 

I  remember  the  case  of  a  Catholic  priest  who  came 
to  me  from  a  Sanitarium  in  Denmark.  He  could 
barely  whisper.  Today  he  is  strong,  healthy  and  a 
prominent  speaker. 

Along  with  his  numerous  duties,  he  kept  up  the 
practice,  just  as  you  are  being  taught.  Another  came 
from  the  extreme  border  of  Poland,  one  from  tlje  so- 
called  ''Sourland"  of  Germany.  These  three  were 
extremely  bad  cases  and  they  are  now  in  splendid  voice. 
I  have  had  many  teachers,  railroad  men,  salesmen, 
army  officers;  all  of  them  succeeded  beyond  their 
dreams. 

Right  here  in  Chicago,  within  a  year,  there  are 
many  whose  voices  were  not  "restored,"  as  they  never 


LESSON  XIV 


17 


had  much  of  a  voice,  but  who  were  given  a  voice  such 
as  they  had  never  dared  to  hope  for. 

Persons  affected  by  the  third  cause,  seemingly  the 
worst  of  all,  are,  as  regards  strength,  often  the  best  of 
all!  I  have  found  stammerers  who  were,  unknown  to 
themselves,  "diamonds."  To  be  sure  "diamonds  in 
the  rough,"  needing  lots  of  cutting,  but  still  diamonds. 
I  don't  say  they  were  musical,  but  merely  that  they 
had  hidden  within  themselves  a  great  voice.  Such 
voices  are  buried  in  slack  and  rubble,  sometimes 
mountain  high,  but  they  are  there! 

So  far  as  my  experience  reaches,  most  of  the 
stammerers  had  a  very  strong  hyo-glossi  muscle,  to 
speak  technically,  but  through  accident,  illness,  some- 
times misdirected  teaching,  or  at  least  through  ignor- 
ance of  the  correct  voice  attack,  had  lost  all  proper 
use  of  the  true  voice-producing  parts  of  their  throats. 
Mostly,  they  held  their  tongues  very  rigid.  The  palate 
is  drawn  up  and  the  jaw  muscles  are  stiff.  Of  course 
any  kind  of  speech  is  almost  impossible  under  such 
conditions. 

It  is  related  that  when  the  Persians  invaded  Lydia, 
soldiers  burst  into  the  palace  of  King  Croesus.  The 
only  son  of  Croesus  was  dumb,  but  when  he  saw  the 
invaders,  the  fear  for  his  father's  life  produced  such 
an  excitement  within  him  that  "he  broke  the  string  of 
his  tongue"  and  called  to  the  invaders,  "Spare  the 
king." 

Now,  what  must  have  happened  was  not  that  he 
broke  the  string  of  the  tongue,  but  that  he  got  "hold 
of  it."  For  the  first  time  in  his  life,  he  controlled  the 
all-essential  voice-producing  tongue  muscles  and  from 
then  on  he  could  speak. 

The  fact  that  stamm.erers  often  can  sing  well  is  a 
positive  proof  that  they  are  normal,  even  better 


18 


LESSON  XIV 


equipped  than  many  persons  who  do  not  stammer. 
If  they  could  control  the  tongue  while  speaking,  as 
they  do  in  singing,  they  would  never  stammer.  There- 
fore the  stammerers  and  all  those  with  speech  defects, 
must  study  and  work  to  gain  the  absolute  control  of 
their  tongue  muscles,  just  the  same  as  the  speakers 
and  singers. 

The  exercises  for  the  present  must  be  the  same  for 
all  classes.  Special  exercises  for  speakers,  singers  and 
defective  voices  w^ill  be  given  as  we  go  along,  but  in 
the  essential  parts,  all  cases  are  alike,  for  everything 
depends  on  the  control  and  strength  of  the  hyo-glossi 
muscles.  This  statement  must  be  repeated  over  and 
over  again.  All  other  exercises  which  you  will  be 
given  are  secondary  to  those  dealing  with  the  hyo- 
glossi. 

Again  place  the  little  finger  under  the  tongue,  as 
taught;  now  repeat  first  all  the  vowel  sounds,  later 
the  entire  alphabet,  as  distinctly  as  you  can. 

Special  exercises  for  vowels  and  consonants  will 
follow  as  we  go  along  with  our  lessons.  For  the  present 
merely  general  directions  can  and  need  be  given. 

As  long  as  you  speak  loudly,  in  an  ordinarily  loud 
tone,  as  if  you  were  speaking  to  a  friend  across  the 
room,  the  beat  must  be  distinctly  felt;  whether  you 
speak  vowels  or  consonants,  it  is  all  the  same.  But  if 
you  do  not  speak  loudly,  the  beat  will  be  felt  very 
faintly  or  not  at  all. 

When  the  hyo-glossi  muscle  contracts  strongly, 
you  always  obtain  a  strong,  full  tone,  which  is  free 
and  musical. 

When  the  hyo-glossi  muscle  contracts  but  little,  or 
not  at  all,  your  voice  is  faint,  husky  or  breathy.  The 
following  little  nonsense  verse  is  very  well  adapted  for 


LESSON  XIV 


19 


a  lesson  in  vocal  attack.  If  you  don't  like  this  verse, 
use  some  other  with  short,  sharp  sentences. 

IRREDENTA 

Shoes  that  squeak,  a  banging  door, 
A  man  too  meek,  a  perfect  score; 
A  stickless  stamp,  a  derby  hat, 
A  solemn  scamp,  a  lady  cat; 
A  lover  bold  who  tells  the  truth, 
A  woman  cold  to  life  and  youth; 
A  mission  chair,  a  wrinkled  rug. 
Denatured  hair,  a  pin  scratch  hug; 
A  pretty  man,  a  mannish  maid, 
A  city  plan,  a  bill  unpaid; 
A  mended  sock,  a  postered  wall — 
Into  the  discard  with  them  all! 

As  before,  place  little  finger  under  the  tongue  and 
read  aloud.  Read  slowly,  and  for  a  few  trials,  separate 
the  words.  Be  especially  careful  to  pronounce  each 
vowel  or  consonant  clearly  and  distinctly,  and  be 
twice  as  careful  to  end  the  word  just  as  distinctly  as 
you  began  it.  For  instance,  read  the  first  line  as  if 
it  were  written  thus: 

Sh'oe's — th'a't — squ-ea'k — a — bang'ingh' — doo-r, 
Read  the  entire  verse  almost  as  if  you  were  spelling 
each  word,  the  consonants  somewhat  separated  from 
the  vowels.  Observe  carefully  that  the  tongue  slightly 
beats  or  bears  down  on  the  finger  below  it.  In  the 
consonants  the  bearing  down  will  be  a  little  less  strong 
than  in  the  vowels.  Notice  that  the  bearing  down,  or 
beat,  continues  while  you  speak.  There  is  no  separate 
beat  for  each  vowel  or  consonant.  The  initial  beat  for 
the  starting  sound  carries  you  to  the  end  of  a  word 
or  when  you  speak  normally,  to  an  entire  sentence. 
As  long  as  you  speak,  the  bearing  down  must  be  pres- 


20 


LESSON  XIV 


ent.  During  rest,  breath  or  pause,  the  tongue  relaxes; 
that  is,  there  is  then  no  beat. 

Gradually  read  this  verse,  in  a  normal  way,  but  be 
sure  to  enunciate  every  syllable  very  distinctly, 
especially  the  end  syllable.  Singers  will  find  this 
also  very  valuable.  Such  a  preparation  will  insure 
anyone  being  understood  by  the  last  man  in  the  upper- 
most gallery  of  any  large  hall. 

Now,  a  very  important  point  to  all  of  you ! 

CULTIVATE  AN  EAR  FOR  YOUR  OWN  VOICE 

You  are  invariably,  not  occasionally,  but  invariably 
to  use  the  strongest  tone  you  can  make  with  ease. 
Converse  in  it,  joke  in  it,  think  in  it.  This  is  not  an 
occasional  exercise,  but  a  continual  performance.  You 
must  arouse  your  intellect,  your  will  power  to  demand  a 
strong,  full  voice,  always  and  at  all  times.  Every 
faculty,  the  understanding,  the  reflective,  the  percep- 
tive and  every  other  faculty  must  co-operate. 

This  new  voice  is  like  a  new  language.  It  necessi- 
tates thought,  concentration,  and  continuity  and,  like 
every  new  language,  can  only  be  learned  if  you  con- 
verse in  it  or  speak  in  public  with  it,  talk  in  it  inces- 
santly. 

Every  individual  talks  in  some  main,  permanent 
pitch.    Gradually  find  out  which  pitch  is  your  own. 

Observe  as  you  read  aloud  or  converse  with  your 
friends  or  address  an  audience  or  a  jury,  that  your 
pitch  varies  from  low  to  high,  but  that  there  is  one 
pitch  on  which  you  can  talk  easier  than  on  any  other. 
That  is  your  standard  pitch.  Accustom  yourself  to 
talk  mainly  in  that  pitch.  Train  your  ear  for  that 
pitch.  If  you  have  a  piano,  find  out  by  striking  the 
key  and  speaking  at  the  same  time — not  singing  the 
words,  but  speaking  them — you  will  find  that  big, 
heavy  voices  usually  speak  around  '*E  flat,"  first  line, 


LESSON  XIV 


21 


lighter  voices  somewhat  near  "F,"  first  space.  When 
you  have  determined  the  pitch  that  is  easiest  to  you, 
hold  on  to  it.  It  is  your  own  individual  voice  pitch. 
In  it  you  will  make  the  most  rapid  progress.  In  that 
pitch  you  will  be  your  own  self  more  than  in  any  other. 

I  have  given  you  a  rather  long  lesson,  but  not  nearly 
long  enough.  You  have  arrived  at  one  of  the  most 
important  stages  of  our  course  of  study.  You  will,  I 
am  sure,  readily  appreciate  the  great  practical  value 
of  this  lesson.  Digest  it.  Ponder  over  it.  Make  it 
your  own.  This  lesson  opens  the  portals  to  a  wide 
vision  of  vocal  success.  Prepare  yourself  for  the 
greater  lessons  that  are  yet  to  come,  by  mastering 
this  one  entirely. 

For  several  months^  practice  some  daily  speaking, 
with  little  finger  under  the  tongue  and  make  sure  you 
get  the  heat  on  every  loudly  spoken  word, 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XIV 

(1)  Had  the  voice  any  part  in  the  success  of 
Christianity? 

(2)  If  you  stammer,  can  you  now  see  the  cause  of 
your  defect? 

(3)  If  your  voice  is  weak,  or  harsh,  do  you  see 
why? 

(4)  Is  your  throat  open  when  you  make  the 
groove? 

(5)  Is  the  throat  open  (that  is,  free  and  relaxed) 
when  you  speak  with  the  beat? 

(6)  Is  your  tongue  beat  strong,  medium  or  weak? 

(7)  On  what  counts  do  you  feel  the  beat? 

(8)  Can  you  read  aloud  the  verse  Irredenta"and 
how  do  you  succeed? 

(9)  Have  you  found  the  pitch  of  your  own  voice? 

(10)  On  what  consonants  or  vowels  do  you 
stammer  most? 


LESSON  XV 

HISTORY  OF  VOICE  AND  VOICE  METHODS 

(Continued) 

From  the  Reformation  to  the  Present 

"Human  happiness  has  no  perfect  security  but  free- 
dom, freedom  none  but  virtue,  virtue  none  but  knowl- 
edge, and  neither  has  any  vigor  or  immortal  hope, 
except  in  the  principles  of  the  Christian  faith;"  so  wrote 
Josiah  Quincy,  of  Boston,  on  September  17,  1830. 

The  North  American  Indian  has  nearly  disappeared 
because  he  had  not  the  capacity  to  develop  himself. 
He  inherited  a  magnificent  land,  but  he  had  nothing 
to  contribute,  either  in  material  wealth  or  in  spiritual 
progress.  He  is  gone,  not  because  he  was  conquered, 
but  because  he  was  lacking  in  the  elements  that  make 
men  strong  to  resist. 

Persia,  Greece  and  Rome  all  had  made  material  prog- 
ress that  has  been  the  wonder  and  envy  of  subsequent 
ages,  but  they  were  deficient  in  spirituality,  in  moral 
qualities  without  which  no  permanent  progress  is  pos- 
sible, without  which  no  nation  can  continue  to  exist. 

Among  the  things  of  the  spirit  are  the  arts,  and  of 
these  it  is  music  which  more  than  any  other  expresses 
the  inner  worth  and  thought  of  man.  Music  is  the  last 
of  all  the  arts,  because  it  demands  a  greater  human 
development  than  any  other.  Man  needed  the  material 
things  first.  From  the  useful  he  progressed  to  a  higher 
idea,  the  beautiful,  and  at  last  he  finds  the  highest  ideal 
of  beauty  within  himself.  The  realization  of  this  high 
ideal  within  himself  will  not  only  make  a  man  more 
happy,  but  also  more  useful  to  himself  and  to  others. 
He  has  gone  through  a  "fire"  and  has  become  refined. 
From  crude  ore  he  has  been  changed  to  pure  and  rich 
metal.    It  took  thousands  of  centuries  to  bring  man- 

1 

®  Printed  in  Chicago,  II!.,  U.  S.  A. 


2  LESSON  XV 

kind  thus  far.  Now  anyone  may  advance  in  a  few  years 
beyond  an  entire  era  of  former  times  and  one  man  is 
worth  more  than  were  hundreds  formerly. 


Fig.  98 
Moses — Michael  Angelo. 


The  past  has  shown  us  that  man  is,  mentally  at  least, 
a  rather  lazy  subject.  If  it  were  not  so,  humanity  would 
have  advanced  much  faster.  Electricity  and  steam  have 


LESSON  XV 


3 


existed  from  the  creation  of  the  world,  but  not  until  the 
American,  Benjamin  Franklin,  harnessed  electricity  and 
the  Scotchman,  Stevenson,  made  use  of  steam  power, 
were  they  of  service  to  mankind.  Up  to  the  time  of  the 
German,  Guttenberg,  books  used  to  be  reproduced  by 
the  slow  process  of  writing.  Now  a  printing  press  can 
do  in  one  hour  what  a  thousand  men  could  then  do  in 
a  year. 

It  required  revolutions  and  wars  to  awaken  the 
slumbering  intelligence  of  humanity. 

But  as  soon  as  a  nation  or  a  race  made  a  step  for- 
ward, reaction  set  in,  striving  to  delay  the  march  to- 
ward a  higher  ideal.  The  introduction  of  Christianity 
was  the  most  important  advance  since  the  time  of 
Moses,  but  that  which  befel  the  religion  of  Moses  also 
befel  Christianity.  Elements  appeared  that  set  it  back. 

The  democratic  tendency  of  the  reformation  intro- 
duced the  singing  of  chorals  and  songs  in  the  language 
of  the  particular  country  in  which  they  were  sung. 
This  had  not  been  the  case  previously  as  songs  had 
been  sung  in  the  Latin  tongue  which  was  unknown  to 
the  masses.  Much  that  was  beautiful  and  sweet  in  the 
old  church  disappeared  to  make  room  for  the  more 
austere  and  coldly  aloof.  Much  was  gained,  but  much 
also  was  lost.  We  realize  that  fact  today. 

The  new  religion  became  dominant  among  all  the 
northern  nations.  The  nations  of  the  south  were  little 
inclined  to  accept  it. 

The  period  of  classic  music  started  with  the  end  of 
the  17th  century.  In  philosophy  we  recognize  Plato 
and  Kant;  in  poetry,  Shakespeare  and  Goethe,  and  in 
music,  Bach  and  Beethoven,  as  the  highest  types. 

The  old  forms  of  music  found  their  sublimest  expres- 
sion in  what  is  known  as  Plain  Chant.    It  formed  the 


A  LESSON  XV 

basis  for  all  other  forms  of  church  music,  polyphonic, 
choral  as  well  as  the  more  ornate  forms.  It  is  the 
highest  form  of  music,  ancient  or  modern,  for  it  never 
can  become  archaic  or  antiquated.  It  forms  the  vehicle 


MARTIN  LUTHER, 

Fig.  99 


by  which  the  sublime  truths  of  Christianity  are  im- 
pressed upon  us. 

From  the  time  of  the  Reformation,  there  was  a 
departure  from  this  sublime  liturgic  expression  of  music, 
and  the  choral  took  its  place  as  the  music  of  the 
Christian  church.  This  was  due  to  the  fact  that  con- 
gregational singing  was  more  and  more  encouraged 
through  the  sublime  chorals  of  John  Sebastian  Bach. 
Bach  appeared  to  give  modern  figured  music  an  im- 
petus, which  is  more  strongly  felt  today  than  at  any 
time  since  his  death  in  1750.  He  appreciated  the 
beauty  of  the  Italian  and  French  schools,  and,  in  fact, 
made  use  of  the  motives  of  Plain  Chant  in  the  compo- 
sition of  his  chorals.  In  addition  he  devoted  the  power 
of  his  giant  intellect  to  completing  the  mighty  archi- 


■a 


LESSON  XV 


5 


tectural  structure  of  modern,  figured  music.  His  most 
beautiful  chorals  are  constructed  on  Plain  Chant 
motives. 

That  Bach  was  far  ahead  of  his  time  may  be  seen 
from  a  letter  of  censure  addressed  to  him  by  the  church 


where  he  was  organist.  In  it  he  was  reproved  for  intro- 
ducing so  many  innovations  and  such  foreign  tones  into 
his  music  that  the  people  became  confused  and  unable 
to  follow  it.  His  life  was  full  of  worries.  He  married 
twice,  had  twenty  children  and  an  income  of  less  than 
$600.  This  was  cut  down  considerably,  he  wrote  to  a 
friend,  when,  on  account  of  a  favorable  winter,  there 
were  fewer  funerals  to  play  for.  It  seems  almost  a 
divine  law,  that  heavenly  inspiration  must  be  paid  for 
by  terrestrial  suffering. 

If  ever  God  talked  to  man  in  tones,  Palestrina,  Bach 
and  Beethoven  were  those  men.  Beethoven's  contribu- 
tion to  music  is  a  depth  of  feeling  and  grandeur  that 
surpasses  the  finite  and  becomes  infinite. 

The  classic  period  of  music  ends  about  1800.  It  is 
followed  by  the  romantic  period.  The  classic  period 
may  be  termed  the  aristocratic  period.  Law  and  order, 
system  and  proportion,  a  logical,  intellectual  evolution 


Fig.  100 


Fig.  101 
Beethoven. 


Bach. 


6 


LESSON  XV 


gave  way  to  a  new  style,  not  so  grand  as  the  classic, 
but  very  interesting.  It  may  be  compared  to  the  liberal 
school  of  politics  and  literature  which  had  its  rise  in  the 
French  revolution. 

The  romantic  period  has  already  passed  its  zenith. 
A  new  world  is  now  opening  before  us.  It  is  the  period 
of  science  and  of  exact  knowledge.  The  people  who  send 
telegrams  across  the  oceans,  who  have  conquered  the 
air,  who  measure  and  divide  atoms,  who  by  means  of 
X-Rays  see  hidden  mysteries,  who  ring  up  a  friend 
thousands  of  miles  away  and  talk  to  him  as  if  he  were 
in  a  chair  opposite  to  them;  those  people  will  presently 
discover  new  forms  and  new  elements  to  express  them- 
selves in  music.  We  must  wait. 

So  much  is  sure — that  faith  in  God,  in  a  future  life, 
is  stronger  and  more  certain  today  than  at  any  time 
in  the  world's  history.  It  must  be  forever  the  highest 
office  to  teach  men  to  find  God  in  their  own  hearts,  to 
assist  the  unfortunate,  to  raise  the  fallen  and  to  encour- 
age the  weak.  As  long  as  we  are  bound  to  the  earth, 
we  have  need  of  faith  and  of  the  things  which  speak 
to  the  heart  and  lift  us  beyond  material  worries  and 
perplexities.  Beauty  in  all  forms  is  one  of  the  means 
which  lift  us  upward,  and  music  will  remain  one  of  the 
strongest  mediums  to  remind  us  that  the  spark  within 
us  is  part  of  an  infinite  spirit. 

Up  to  about  the  15th  century,  singing  was  mainly 
confined  to  religious  ceremonies.  In  the  early  ages  of 
Christianity,  the  Gregorian  Chant,  which  was  regarded 
by  all  as  a  prayer,  a  communing  with  God,  found  its 
place  only  within  the  sacred  precincts  of  the  church. 
With  the  advent  of  Palestrina  and  polyphonic  music, 
modern,  figured  music  itself  took  on  a  sacred  character, 
and  the  art  of  music  still  remained  to  a  great  degree  a 
church  art,  a  religious  art.  With  the  time  of  Bach  and 


LESSON  XV  7 

the  choral,  the  art  of  music  seems  to  have  finished  its 
course  as  a  reHgious  art.  The  Chant,  polyphony  and 
the  choral  were  decidedly  and  intrinsically  religious. 
Today  in  most  of  our  churches,  the  sublime  Gregorian 
Chant,  the  polyphony  of  Palestrina  and  the  other 
composers  of  his  time,  the  solemn  choral  of  Bach,  are 
no  longer  heard.  Worldly  music  and  sentimental  tunes 
have  usurped  their  place.  Up  to  the  time  of  the  Refor- 
mation, all  liturgic  music  was  conducted  in  the  Latin 
tongue,  while  non-liturgic  music  was  conducted  in  the 
particular  language  of  the  country.  Although  liturgic 
music  was  confined  to  the  Latin  text,  yet  this  text  was 
sung  by  all  the  people  who  from  childhood  knew  per- 
fectly well  the  meaning  of  the  text.  As  many  of  the 
Christian  churches  now  are  non-liturgic,  we  find  that 
the  singing  is  in  the  vernacular.  As  a  result  of  depart- 
ing from  the  serious  chant,  polyphony  and  choral, 
church  music  today  takes  on  the  character  of  the 
music  heard  in  the  theatre  and  concert  hall. 

Now,  using  our  native  languages,  the  text  and  the 
music  treat  of  love,  kisses,  wine.  The  smile  of  a  sweet- 
heart is  more  important  than  forgiveness  of  sin.  Her 
blue  eyes  are  more  enticing  than  all  the  bliss  of  heaven. 
Formerly  singers  traveled  in  the  then  known  parts  of 
the  world.  The  Roman  legions  sang  as  they  conquered 
the  nations,  to  be  themselves  defeated  as  the  ancient 
Germans  and  Gauls  invaded  Rome,  singing  their  battle 
songs.  When  the  wars  ended,  many  preferred  to  earn 
a  precarious,  but  amusing  existence  by  journeying  from 
court  to  court,  singing  and  dancing,  or  by  the  display 
of  all  sorts  of  tricks  and  arts.  These  individuals  be- 
came the  bards  of  the  Celts,  the  jongleurs  of  Gaul,  the 
'Vagrants"  of  all  the  world,  high-brow  progenitors  of 
our  present-day  tramp. 


8 


LESSON  XV 


A  few  of  them,  specially  gifted,  were  permanently 
engaged  by  some  prince  or  city,  to  supply  the  festivi- 
ties with  the  necessary  laughter,  to  praise  the  prince 
or  the  town  authorities  to  the  highest  heaven,  to  rail 
and  mock  against  their  enemies,  etc. 

These  were  the  real  predecessors  of  the  later  day 
court  poet  or  the  present  day  "after  dinner"  speaker. 
Besides  being  gifted  with  a  crude  sort  of  wit,  they 
needed  a  good  voice.  It  is  on  record  that  their  wit  was 
often  of  poor  quality,  but  they  made  up  for  that  by 
superior  voices. 

Out  of  this  mixture  of  pagan  and  Christian  motives, 
Greek  culture,  Celtic  and  Germanic  barbarism,  a  gentle, 
new  and  beautiful  flower  was  born.  It  is  the  "Folk- 
Song." 

With  the  introduction  of  the  printing  press,  the  text 
and  music  of  these  songs  spread  quickly.  The  first 
book  or  collection  of  songs  was  published  in  1490. 

At  a  very  early  time  in  the  Christian  era,  Easter, 
Passion  and  Mystery  plays  were  enacted  by  the  priests 
and  monks.  In  the  12th  century,  the  traveling  min- 
strels adopted  these  also,  and  in  this  wise  founded  the 
modern  theater  and  opera.  The  Thirty  Years  War  of 
th^  reformation  destroyed  what  former  centuries  had 
contributed  in  the  way  of  art,  poetry  and  music.  A 
sad  time  came  over  the  world.  At  a  period  when  mur- 
der, rape  and  fire  became  the  main  business  of  life,  art 
and  song,  which  are  the  children  of  peace  and  culture, 
were  forgotten.  The  modern  ideas  of  socialism,  com- 
munism, and  anarchism,  have  not  contributed  any 
thing  to  the  development  of  folk-song.  What  we  still 
hear  of  that  is  not  new,  but  merely  dreams  of  the  past. 


LESSON  XV 


9 


In  France  the  folk-songs  were  gradually  divided  into 
two  distinct  classes.  One  class  for  the  city,  which  meant 
Paris,  the  other  for  the  country,  or  'Voix  de  ville,"  the 
vaudeville  of  our  day. 

England  possessed  the  most  developed  and  distinct 
folk-songs.  Part  singing  was  known  there  long  before 
any  other  country. 

To  us  it  seems  inconceivable  that  there  was  a 'time, 
not  so  many  centuries  ago  either,  when  there  were  no 


Fig.  102 
The  Juggler  of  Notre  Dame. 

% 

books,  when  the  virgin  mind  was  a  blank;  when  the 
mere  details  of  everyday  life,  eating,  drinking,  sleep, 
and  work  in  the  field  or  kitchen,  were  the  events  of  the 
day.  To  the  knight  in  his  solitary  castle  and  still  more 
to  his  women  folk,  life  presented  one  monotonous  round 
of  uneventful  existence,  broken  now  and  then  by  hunt- 
ing, fishing  and  occasionally  by  a  feud  with  some  other 


10 


LESSON  XV 


knight,  just  to  pass  the  time.  When  in  the  long  winter 
days,  the  landscape  covered  with  an  even  sheet  of  snow, 
yawning  solitude,  an  eternal  nothing  stretched  before 
the  castle  with  the  prospect  that  tomorrow  and  the 
days  to  follow  would  be  like  today,  the  watchman  in 
the  tower  blew  the  horn  and  announced  a  visitor,  with 
what  eagerness' this  visitor  was  received!  And  if  he 
should  happen  to  be  a  minstrel,  he  was  made  more 
than  welcome.  He  came  from  the  outside,  he  had 
traveled  far  in  foreign  countries,  at  courts;  he  could 
tell  of  wars,  of  gossip  here  and  there.  What  wonder 
that  he  was  urged  to  stay  days  and  weeks.  His  stories, 
his  songs,  even  his  arrogance  and  boldness  were  a  re- 


Fig.  103 

A  Knight  in  Full  Armor. 


LESSON  XV 


11 


freshing  break  in  the  monotonous  existence.  He  was 
the  newspaper  of  that  age.  Not  even  the  merchant 
with  his  wares  from  Venice,  spices  from  India,  Hnen 
from  Flanders,  carpets  and  silks  from  the  Orient,  stood 
in  such  high  regard  as  the  minstrel.  For  him  the  best 
room,  the  richest  victuals  and  the  greatest  reward ;  for  if 
he  was  liked,  he  also  was  feared.  His  tongue  was  always 
sharp  and  his  conscience  not  over-scrupulous.  If  he 
were  not  treated  and  rewarded  to  his  liking,  he  would 
make  fun  of  one.  He  would  sing  a  "bad  song"  about  one. 
Yellow  journalism  was  known  and  feared  even  then! 

Knighthood,  once  defender  of  the  faith,  the  hope  of 
the  oppressed,  the  fear  of  the  wrongdoer,  fell  from  its 
high  estate.  The  great  and  the  little  lords  in  turn  be- 
came the  oppressors,  the  assassins  and  thieves.  An- 
archy reigned.  No  one  was  master.  In  this  time  of 
lawlessness  the  citizens  of  the  towns  banded  together 
for  mutual  defense  against  the  predatory  knight.  The 
knights  and  barons  turned  bandits.  The  towns  were 
surrounded  with  strong  fortifications,  and  guards  kept 
watch  at  the  gates.  Outside  these  towns  there  was 
robbery  and  lawlessness.  Within  the  walls  there  w^as 
peace  and  prosperity.  The  merchant  and  the  me- 
chanic, the  baker  and  the  butcher,  the  carpenter,  the 
smith,  the  weaver,  the  tailor,  and  the  shoemaker,  all 
joined  together  in  a  harmonious  community.  And  at 
their  guild  meetings,  verses  and  music  helped  to  amuse 
and  to  improve  the  mind. 

In  this  happy  atmosphere  were  born  the  German 
master-singers,  whose  poetic  flower  was  Hans  Sachs, 
a  shoemaker  of  Nuremberg.  Only  a  master  craftsman 
was  admitted  to  this  fellowship.  He  had  to  pass  a 
severe  examination  in  many  things,  but  chiefly  in  his 
literary  and  musical  qualifications,  and  his  ability  to 
form  verses  in  conformity  with  strict  rules. 


12 


LESSON  XV 


Verse  and  music  had  to  be  original,  so  while  the 
tailor  sewed  or  the  carpenter  worked,  he  thought  at 
the  same  time  about  some  story  which  could  be  maed 
into  verse  and  set  to  music.  Prizes  were  distributed  to 
the  chief  master-singers  from  time  to  time,  and  these 
rewards  proved  a  great  stimulant  to  search  for  new 
subjects  which  could  be  turned  into  verse.  Their 
sources  of  study  were  ancient  and  modern  history,  the 
Bible,  politics  and  nature.  It  was  a  kind  of  Chautauqua 
course  of  and  for  the  artisans  of  the  16th  and  17th 
centuries.  These  men  had  their  work  to  do.  They 
liked  the  work.  They  were  satisfied  and  happy.  They 
did  not  try  to  force  their  opinions  on  the  rest  of  the 
world.  All  they  wanted  was  the  opportunity  to  carry 
on  their  own  business  in  peace.  When  they  met  of 
evenings,  it  was  not  to  discourse  upon  politics,  the 
tariff,  votes  for  women  or  some  Utopian  scheme  of 
converting  wolves  into  lambs;  it  was  to  improve  their 
minds.  They  refreshed  themselves  after  their  daily 
labor  by  taking  up  some  subject  that  appealed  to  them 
as  beautiful  and  worth  while. 

Though  machinery  was  practically  unknown  in  those 
days,  yet  the  art  of  the  locksmith,  the  tailor,  the  gold- 
smith, the  carpenter,  etc.,  was  far  superior  to  that  of 
our  present  day.  Their  furniture,  dress  designs  and 
workmanship  in  crafts  of  all  kinds,  such  as  porcelains, 
medallions,  weaving,  linen,  are  types  of  perfection 
which  we  merely  copy  today.  Rather  poor  in  externals, 
their  inner  individual  soul  life  was  richer  than  that  of 
their  successors  has  been. 

The  masses  had  a  sense  of  beauty,  symmetry  and 
proportion  now  found  only  in  a  comparatively  small 
number  of  highly  cultured  persons  In  comfort  and 
knowledge  they  were  poorer  than  people  of  today,  but 
the  individual  was  richer  and  certainly  more  contented. 


LESSON  XV 


13 


EXERCISES  FOR  LESSON  XV 
THE  ATTACK  {Continued) 

Many  persons  find  it  extremely  difficult  to  form  the 
groove  in  the  tongue.  Every  means  must  be  tried  to 
induce  the  contraction  of  the  hyo-glossi  muscles  which 
make  the  groove.  Those  of  you  who  now  make  the 
groove  with  ease,  will  still  find  it  profitable  to  try  the 
following  experiment: 

First  take  a  little  sip  of  water,  then  close  the  mouth 
and  swallow.  Notice  most  carefully  whether  you  feel 
a  little  contraction  in  the  extreme  rear  part  of  the 
tongue.    Repeat  several  times. 

When  you  notice  or  feel  the  easy  but  distinct  con- 
traction in  the  tongue,  then  notice  at  the  same  time 
that  your  throat  feels  open,  loose  or  hollow.  As  you 
swallow  again  and  again,  notice  gradually  that  the 
contraction  of  the  tongue  and  the  hollow  throat  occur 
at  the  same  instant;  that  is,  the  contraction  of  the 
tongue  also  caused  the  hollow,  open  throat.  If  cold 
water  does  not  induce  the  contraction  of. the  tongue, 
take  hot  coffee  or  tea,  real  hot,  but  only  a  sip  at  any 
one  time. 

As  a  progressive  step,  do  this:  Take  a  sip,  then 
place  your  forefinger  inside  the  mouth  as  far  back  as 
you  can  reach.  Place  the  forefinger  directly  but  gently 
upon  the  tongue,  as  far  back  as  you  can.  Close  your 
mouth  now  and  swallow.  Repeat  this  until  you  can 
distinctly  feel  that  the  tongue  sinks  in  the  middle, 
especially  far  back;  that  it  also  feels  loose  and  the 
throat  hollow.  Keep  on  trying  till  you  get  this.  When 
the  tongue  grooves  with  the  swallow,  then  try  with- 
out swallowing. 

Now  try  still  another  experiment,  that  of  sucking. 
Place  forefinger  way  back  on  the  tongue,  close  your 
mouth  and  think  of  swall®wing  or  sucking  your  finger. 


14 


LESSON  XV 


Try  every  means  of  inducing  the  tongue  to  contract, 
by  tickling  with  the  tongue  depressor,  or  by  swallow- 
ing water,  or  by  sucking  the  finger,  as  may  suit  you 
best;  then  try  and  make  the  groove  without  that 
stimulating  effort. 

GROOVE  WITH  LITTLE  FINGER 

Again  place  the  little  finger  under  the  tongue.  Make 
the  groove  and  ^notice  the  beat  of  the  tongue  on  the 
finger.  Make  sure,  and  this  is  especially  important  for 
singers,  that  the  lowest  part  of  the  larynx,  the  cricoid 
cartilage,  does  not  move  while  you  make  the  groove. 

As  a  further  illustration  of  the  "beat,"  try  the  fol- 
lowing: Stand  erect,  with  your  knees  or  only  one  knee 
pressed  stiffly  backward.  Notice  the  tension  in  the 
knee.  Hold  for  three  counts,  then  at  "four,"  suddenly 
give  way  at  the  knee,  not  much,  just  enough  to  notice 
a  break  or  sudden  relaxing  or  giving  away  at  the  knee. 
This  break  illustrates  the  beat  of  the  tongue  very  dis- 
tinctly and  can  be  easily  made  by  anyone.  Then  place 
finger  under  the  tongue,  hold  the  tongue  for  three 
counts,  then  at  "four,"  suddenly  let  go  of  the  tongue; 
that  is,  break  the  tongue  as  you  did  with  the  knee,  and 
notice  now  that  the  beat  is  very  clear  and  distinct. 

As  a  specific  illustration  of  the  physical  cause  and 
process  of  an  exact  vocal  attack  for  everybody,  speaker, 
singer  and  stammerer,  get  a  rubber  ball  or  atomizer. 
A  small  rubber  ball  will  do  nicely.  Close  your  fingers 
around  the  ball  and  squeeze  it  several  times.  Notice 
the  slight  effort  of  your  hand  as  you  squeeze  the  ball 
and  the  relaxing  of  the  hand  as  you  let  go. 

Now,  at  count  "one,"  suddenly,  but  in  the  easiest 
possible  way,  close  hard  and  squeeze! 

Hold  for  count  "two"  and  "three." 


LESSON  XV 


15 


Let  go  at  count  "four!"  Repeat  several  times!  Ob- 
serve two  distinct  actions  as  you  play  with  the  ball. 
One  is  the  action  of  closing  the  hands;  this  is  the  con- 
traction. The  other  action  is  when  you  release  the  ball, 
as  you  open  your  hand ;  this  is  relaxation ! 

After  every  contraction  there  must  be  a  relaxation! 
Repeat  the  ball  experiment  till  you  get  a  clear  picture 
of  two  distinct  movements.  As  your  hands  contract, 
notice  that  the  contraction  is  sudden,  but  not  violent; 
quick,  but  free  and  easy. 

While  you  hold  the  ball  contracted,  you  will  notice 
a  certain  amount  of  easy  tension  in  your  hands,  and  as 
you  let  go,  or  relax  your  hand,  this  tension  disappears 
instantly.  Now  squeeze  the  ball  in  rapid  succession; 
notice  that  you  can  do  this  so  quickly  that  the  con- 
traction and  relaxation  almost  occur  at  the  same  time. 
This  is  exactly  what  happens  with  the  tongue  and 
all  the  muscles  of  the  entire  vocal  organ,  as  long  as 
you  speak  or  sing.  Between  words,  between  musical 
phrases,  or  between  staccato  notes,  there  is  a  relaxa- 
tion of  all  the  vocal  muscles.  If  there  were  no  relax- 
ing, the  tone  would  take  the  nature  of  the  muscles.  It 
would  be  hard  and  stiff  like  them. 

Three  things  must  be  remembered  as  needful  for  a 
correct  vocal  attack.   They  are: 

Suddenness,  Strength  and  Ease. 

Suddenness.  Because  that  is  the  way  all  muscles 
contract;  instantly,  without  the  slightest  hesitation. 

Strength.  When  the  muscles  contract  suddenly  and 
with  the  utmost  freedom  they  are  at  their  maximum 
strength,  therefore  the  tone  is  strong. 

Ease.  When  the  muscles  contract  without  forcing, 
with  the  utmost  ease,  then  you  feel  free,  loose  and 
comfortable,  in  spite  or  because  of  the  fact  that  the 
muscles  are  powerfully  contracted. 


16 


LESSON  XV 


These  three  things  are  the  essentials  of  all  good 
vocal  attack.  These  three  principles,  strictly  observed, 
will  place  you  in  the  position  of  doing  very  good  work, 
even  with  the  voice  you  now  have;  and  even  when  you 
have  finished  the  work  which  I  prescribe  in  these  les- 
sons, they  must  still  be  observed.  These  three  essen- 
tials must  be  observed  continually,  as  long  as  you  live. 

So  far,  no  special  exercises  for  the  singer  have  been 
required.  What  has  been  given  is  essential  for  all 
voices.  The  singer  needed  these  exercises  as  much  as 
the  speaker  and  the  defective  voice.  The  following 
directions  apply  especially  to  singers.  Special  exercises 
for  the  speaker  alone,  and  for  the  defective  voice  alone, 
will  follow  in  later  lessons. 

Place  the  little  finger  under  the  tongue.  Sing  B  flat 
on  the  third  line.  If  you  notice  that  the  beat  is  made 
at  the  instant  of  the  tone  and  the  tone  is  strong  and 
free,  you  are  right.  That  is  your  best  tone!  Remem- 
ber that  you  must  attack  the  tone  suddenly,  strongly, 
and  with  ease.  (If  you  do  not  know  the  notes,  then 
sing  any  tune  that  is  easy  for  you.) 

Sing  the  B  flat  three  times,  with  a  pause  between 
each  tone.  At  the  pause,  the  beat  of  the  tongue  will 
disappear,  to  become  instantly  noticeable  at  the  next 
tone.  As  long  as  you  hold  a  note,  the  beat  will  re- 
main steady.  Now  proceed.  Sing  B  natural,  then  C, 
and  so  on,  by  half  steps;  each  tone  three  times,  with  a 
pause  between,  up  to  F  on  the  fifth  line.  Do  not,  for 
the  present,  go  above  F,  but  proceed  now  by  half  steps 
in  the  chromatic  scale,  downward  as  far  as  your  voice 
naturally  extends. 

The  limit  of  your  voice  is  the  ''beat."  When  you 
do  not  get  a  "beat"  of  the  tongue,  you  have  reached 
the  limit  of  your  voice  for  the  present. 

Some  of  you  may  not  get  a  beat  as  high  as  F.  In 


LESSON  XV 


17 


that  case  stop  at  the  note  where  the  beat  ceases  to 
appear.  Do  not  become  discouraged  or  cross,  merely 
continue  the  groove  exercise  from  day  to  day.  Your 
"beat"  will  become  more  distinct  and  in  a  little  while 
you  will  go  as  high  as  F.  Many  of  you,  who  are  tenors 
or  sopranos,  will  not  get  a  beat  much  below  E  flat,  on 
the  first  line.  This  also  need  not  worry  you.  High 
sopranos  or  tenors  rarely  go  much  below  this  note. 
Middle  C  is  a  difficult  note  for  high  voices  and  yet  nearly 
all  teachers  and  books  of  exercises  start  on  the  middle  C. 

Every  voice,  high  or  low,  can  reach  B  flat  on  the 
third  line.  Take  that  as  your  central  note.  Notice 
that  already  your  voice  is  much  fresher,  stronger  and 
more  supple  than  it  has  been,  and  that  you  feel  free. 
Your  throat  feels  open.  Your  resonance  is  much 
stronger  and  exactly  where  you  always  wanted  it,  in 
front  of  the  face.  Observe  that  you  did  not  try  to  do 
these  things,  but  there  they  are! 

The  tone  is  not  a  result  of  resonance,  but  just  the 
reverse.  The  resonance  is  the  result  of  a  good  tone. 
Freedom  and  an  open  throat  did  not  induce  a  good 
tone.  Just  the  opposite  is  the  case.  The  correct  tone, 
the  good  tone,  is  the  cause  of  freedom,  ease  and  an 
open  throat. 

Gradually,  after  you  are  sure  of  your  tones,  sing 
two  whole  tones  in  perfect  legato.  Start  with  B  flat 
always.  Sing  B  flat-C,  then  B-C  sharp,  C-D,  and  so 
on.  Proceed  up  to  F  by  half  steps^  then  go  down  the 
scale.  Do  not  go  either  up  or  down  any  more  than 
your  voice  at  present  allows  with  the  utmost  ease. 
Observe  that  the  beat  is  felt  on  th^  first  note  and  re- 
mains while  you  sing  the  two  whole  tones.  Repeat 
the  tones  slowly  two  or  three  times,  pause  and  go  to 
the  next  half  a  tone  higher. 

Later,  sing  three  notes  in  succession,  then  four  and 


18 


LESSON  XV 


finally  five,  proceeding  by  half  steps.  The  first  step 
may  be  any  note  of  the  chromatic  scale ;  the  note  or 
notes  following  this  are  the  notes  of  the  Diatonic 
major  scale  of  the  key  with  which  you  started. 

When  you  are  sure  of  every  tone,  then  sing  the  first 
five  tones  of  the  major  scale.  Sing  slowly  up  and  down, 
then  with  the  same  breath,  very  fast  up  and  down,  and 
then  pause.  Proceed  this  way  downward,  reversing 
the  order  of  the  scale  as  far  as  your  beat  will  let  you. 

You  may  now  use  your  knowledge  and  experience 
in  simple  songs.  They  should,  however,  not  exceed 
your  present  compass.  First  sing  every  note  to  "ha." 
When  two  or  more  notes  are  joined  to  a  syllable,  you 
must  connect  them,  as  in  the  runs  just  given.  You 
notice  the  beat  then  only  on  the  first  note,  but  the 
pressure  remains  as  long  as  you  sing.  On  separate 
tones,  of  course,  the  beat  is  felt  for  every  new  note. 

Having  made  sure  of  a  good  tone  for  every  note, 
read  the  words,  still  with  the  little  finger  under  the 
tongue.  If  you  are  careful  on  each  syllable,  you  will 
feel  the  beat  and  your  diction  will  be  strong  and  dis- 
tinct. Now,  apply  the  text  to  the  notes  and  see  that 
your  tones  are  very  clear,  strong  and  full;  at  the  same 
time  your  text  should  be  plain  and  easily  understood. 
You  can  study  many  songs  this  way. 

Do  not  neglect  any  parts  of  these  lessons.  They  are 
all  important,  not  only  to  speakers  and  defective  voices, 
but  also  to  singers. 

Special  instruction  on  songs  will  follow. 


LESSON  XV 


19 


EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XV 

(1)  Human  progress  has  been  proportionate  to  its 
power  of  resistance.   Does  that  apply  to  the  voice?  / 

(2)  Can  you  now  make  the  groove  all  the  way  back 
in  the  tongue  with  ease? 

(3)  When  you  make  the  groove,  is  the  throat  open 
and  loose,  or  in  other  words  free?  ^  ^ 

(4)  Do  you  notice  the  pressure  or  ''beat"  of  the 
tongue  against  little  finger? 

(5)  Can  you  relax  the  tongue  after  the  beat  is  made? 

(6)  What  are  the  three  things  to  be  remembered  in 
vocal  attack? 

(7)  Do  you  notice  the  bea  t  when  you  sing  a  medium 
tone? 

(8)  Do  you  notice  resonance  in  the  tones  that  are 
made  with  the  beat? 

(9)  Do  you  notice  freedom  on  such  tones? 
(10)  Can  you  read  aloud  and  notice  the  beat? 


LESSON  XVI 

HISTORY  OF  VOICE  AND  VOICE  METHODS 

{Continued) 

THE  RENAISSANCE 

The  Christian  reHgion  has  proven  itself  stronger  than 
all  other  religions.  The  gods  of  Greece  and  Rome  are 
fallen,  never  to  rise  again.  But  with  the  downfall  of 
Greece  and  Rome,  their  high  culture,  their  philosophy, 
their  noble  arts,  were  also  forgotten.  While  man  can- 
not live  by  bread  alone,  it  is  also  true  that  he  cannot 
live  by  the  spirit  alone.  The  material  things  of  the 
world,  while  we  are  in  it,  must  be  attended  to,  else 
even  the  spirit  will  disappear,  for  all  impressions, 
whether  for  good  or  evil,  must  of  necessity  either 
elevate  or  depress  the  spirit. 

That  which  formerly  had  graced  humanity,  its  sense 
of  beauty  for  form  and  color,  its  capacity  for  outward 
expression,  the  individual  beauty  of  Hfe,  had  been 
broken  to  pieces,  to  lie  scattered  and  forgotten  for  a 
thousand  years.  Gone  were  the  architectural  beauties, 
the  superb  sculpture,  the  drama,  the  philosophers,  the 
orators  and  the  statesmen  of  the  old  civilization.  With 
them,  of  course,  went  the  debauchery,  the  rascality  and 
dissoluteness,  to  destroy  which  the  better  parts  had 
also  to  go.  The  moral  issue  had  become  supreme.  All 
else  had  to  make  way  for  it.  The  moral  worth  of  the 
barbarian  was  superior  to  the  intellectual  worth  of  the 
highest  culture  of  the  time. 

But  moral  worth,  sincerity  and  spirituality  need  not 
exclude  the  highest  state  of  intellectual  culture;  on  the 
contrary,  both  must  go  hand  in  hand  to  make  man 
worthy  of  his  Creator,  to  prepare  him  for  his  high 
estate  in  eternity. 

1 

©Printed  in  Chicago,  111.,  U.  S.  A. 


2 


LESSON  XVI 


The  man  who  sneers  at  intellect  and  art  is  not  a 
true  Christian  and  certainly  only  an  inferior  man,  be 
his  moral  conduct  ever  so  good.  We  know  what  bale- 
ful influence  bigoted  but  stupid  morality  exerted  in  the 
Middle  Ages,  as  instanced  by  the  tortures  of  the  in- 
quisition: how  the  same  spirit  tolerated  the  burning 


Fig.  104 
St.  Cecilia — Raphael. 


LESSON  XVI 


3 


of  witches,  even  in  America,  and  how  profoundly  it 
influences  many  modern  agitators,  who  wish  to  make 
the  world  moral  by  statute  law. 

If  you  have  read  Mark  Twain's  "A  Knight  at  King 
Arthur's  Court"  you  can  readily  see  what  effect  igno- 
rance had  on  the  people  who  lived  during  the  first 
thousand  years  after  the  fall  of  the  culture  that  was 
Greece. 

It  w^as  St.  Francis  of  Assisi  (1182-1226)  who  again 
erected  a  bridge  to  span  the  abyss  between  Christ  and 
man.  He  introduced  a  new  Christ,  a  brother,  a  sym- 
pathizer with  man.  The  severity  of  a  cold  faith  was 
changed  to  a  religion  of  love  and  grace.  A  new  inspira- 
tion took  root  in  humanity,  and  first  of  all  in  Italy, 
where  Dante  wrote  his  Divine  comedy.  The  sense 
of  beauty  and  form  was  reborn;  the  arts  of  the  past 
were  again  studied.  Great  men  like  Michael  Angelo, 
Raphael,  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  Correggio,  Titian,  Pe- 
trarch, Boccacio,  Galilei,  and  others,  lived  and  w^orked 
for  new  ideals. 

The  ancient  Greek  dramas  were  revived  and  grad- 
ually were  set  to  the  music  of  the  time,  so  that  in  the 
year  1600  the  first  grand  opera,  "Dafne,"  by  Jacopo 
Peri,  was  performed  at  the  court  of  the  Medicis. 

In  ancient  times  drama  was  not  spoken,  but  sung. 
The  principal  characters  used  a  sort  of  chant  with  an 
accompaniment  of  the  lyre,  and  the  choruses  were  also 
sung.  So,  when  the  new  literary  enthusiasts  considered 
the  means  at  hand,  they  found  there  was  plenty  pro- 
vision for  the  choruses,  but  none  for  the  solos  of  the 
principal  characters,  for  all  music  up  to  that  time  had 
been  chorus  or  congregational  singing.  The  entire  mu- 
sical system  was  polyphonic^ — that  is,  many  voiced. 
The  question  arose,  how  should  the  soloists  be  pro- 
vided for? 


4 


LESSON  XVI 


This  problem  was  solved  by  Vincenzo  Galilei,  the 
father  of  the  great  astronomer,  Galilei,  or  Galileo,  as 
the  name  is  sometimes  written,  who  wrote  a  few  songs 
and  sang  them  himself  to  his  own  accompaniment  on 
the  viola.  Everybody  was  charmed.  Society  took  up 
the  new  art.  Real  musicians  endorsed  the  new  depar- 
ture, and  thus  monophonic  or  single-voiced  songs  were 
established  in  public  favor.  Opera  now  became  possible, 
because  the  songs  would  serve  to  express  the  emotions 
of  the  principal  characters.  The  solo  songs  in  the  opera 
were  called  arias.  They  represented  the  highest  state  of 
feeling  of  the  action.  But  the  action,  even  of  the  prin- 
cipal characters,  does  not  always  retain  this  high  state 
of  feeling.  Much  of  the  dialogue,  of  course,  would 
have  to  be  spoken.  To  obviate  recourse  to  spoken 
words,  the  recitative  was  invented.  This  is  so  well 
adapted  to  its  purpose  that  it  has  been  retained  to  the 
present  day.  It  is  a  sort  of  compromise  between  song 
and  speech;  a  declamation,  partaking  of  the  nature  of 
both. 

The  music  drama  was  now  complete.  Grand  Opera 
made  its  bow  to  the  world.  The  new  art  form  was 
taken  up  with  rapture  in  all  countries;  both  prince  and 
pauper  delighted  in  it.  In  this  wise  began  the  career 
of  the  great  singers. 

At  last  and  for  the  first  time,  the  human  voice  came 
into  its  own  in  singing.  Its  wonderful  possibilities  be- 
gan to  arouse  attention:  not  only  singers,  but  orators, 
actors,  preachers,  statesmen,  all  those  who  live  by  their 
efforts  of  mind  and  voice  were  attracted  to  the  study 
and  development  of  their  own  voices.  Henceforward  a 
new  art,  a  new  branch  of  human  activity,  began  to  be 
cultivated. 

For  over  a  century  opera  remained  a  purely  Italian 
product.    The  text  of  operas  remained  Italian  up  to 


LESSON  XVI 


5 


the  19th  century,  even  in  England  and  Germany. 
France  alone  adopted  a  national  style  of  text. 

The  first  great  name  among  composers  of  opera  is 
Alessandro  Scarlatti  (1659-1725)  and  he  is  also  the  first 
voice  teacher  of  whom  we  have  any  record.  Of  course, 
there  had  been  singing  teachers  before  that,  but  they 
taught  chorus  singing  and  not  solo  singing.  From  his 
time  until  the  present,  Italian  opera  has  laid  prime 
stress  on  its  melodies,  good  singable,  pleasing  melodies 
and  graceful  forms. 

Gradually,  the  dramatic  action  was  lost  sight  of 
entirely.  The  solo  singer  became  the  main  element  of 
the  opera.  Often  the  action  of  the  drama  was  stopped, 
even  in  a  critical  situation,  in  order  to  give  a  singer  an 
opportunity  for  display  in  a  long  and  elaborate  aria, 
pleasing  in  melody,  but  sensational  in  character,  and 
full  of  technical  difficulties.  Male  sopranos  (eunuchs) 
competed  with  female  singers  in  virtuoso  perform- 
ances. Great  schools  for  training  of  solo  singers  arose 
in  Bologna,  Rome,  Milan,  Venice,  Naples  and  Florence. 


Fig.  105 
William  Tell— Rossini. 


6  LESSON  XVI 

Everything  was  sacrificed  to  sensuous  charm,  bril- 
liant effects  and  to  the  vanity  of  the  singer.  From  this 
time  dates  the  glory  of  the  great  singers,  both  male 
and  female.  The  principal  composers  who  made  pos- 
sible the  great  fame  and  the  great  wealth  of  the  opera 
singers  were,  first  of  all,  Rossini,  whose  operas,  "Will- 
iam Tell,"  'The  Barber  of  Seville"  and  others,  are 
among  the  most  brilliant  and  striking  of  their  kind. 
Then  came  Bellini,  with  'TaSonnambula"  and  ''Norma," 
and  Donizetti  with  "Don  Pasquale,"  "Lucrezia  Borgia," 
"Lucia  de  Lammermoor,"  "Fille  de  Regiment,"  etc. 

The  climax  of  Italian  operatic  achievement  was 
reached  by  Verdi,  who  made  a  great  advance  both  in 
orchestra  writing  and  in  devising  a  style  adapted  to 
dramatic  truth,  especially  in  his  later  years.  His  operas, 
"II  Trovatore,"  "Ernani,"  "Rigoletto"  and  "Aida"  are 
household  melodies.  Boito's  "Mefistofele"  also  is  still 
in  the  repertory. 

In  France  meanwhile  a  new  form  of  opera  was  cre- 
ated, that  of  opera  comique  or  operetta.  It  was  a  reac- 
tion against  the  stiff  and  stilted  manner  of  the  estab- 
lished style  of  French  literature  and  art.  Rousseau, 
the  great  human  naturalist,  began  to  write  his  so-called 
"Philosophy  of  Enlightenment."  The  mental  tenden- 
cies of  the  French  cultivated  classes  were  just  as  arti- 
ficial in  all  departments  of  art  and  literature  as  their 
landscape  gardening,  which  required  that  all  trees  and 
shrubbery  should  be  clipped  in-to  fantastic  and  artificial 
forms,  no  tree  being  allowed  to  develop  itself  naturally 
or  in  its  own  regular  way.  Then  came  the  other  ex- 
treme, when  French  royalty  and  nobility  were  be- 
headed during  the  Revolution,  when  the  masses  reigned 
supreme,  and  were,  in  turn,  as  foolish  and  mischievous 
as  had  been  the  nobles  before  them. 


LESSON  XVI 


7 


Among  the  French  composers  of  grand  opera  must 
be  mentioned  Gluck,  whose  ''Orpheus  and  Eurydice" 
proclaims  him  a  genius  of  highest  order.  Then  came 
Meyerbeer,  who,  like  Gluck,  was  German,  but  living  in 
France,  who  wrote  "The  Huguenots,"  "Robert  the 
Devil,"  "The  Prophet,"  and  "I'Africaine."  Since  his 
time  the  greatest  names  in  French  opera  have  been 
Thomas,  with  the  opera  "Mignon,"  Gounod,  whose 
"Faust"  is  just  as  popular  today  as  ever,  and  Masse- 
net. Bizet's  opera,  "Carmen,"  is  still  a  great  favorite. 


Fig.  106 
Faust — Gounod. 


Opera  in  the  German  language  was  for  a  long  time 
not  synonymous  with  German  opera.  The  nearest 
approach  to  it  was  made  in  Hamburg,  which  city  was 


8 


LESSON  XVI 


for  long  the  musical  center  of  Germany.  Haendel  wrote 
his  first  opera  there,  though  later  he  moved  to  London. 
Mozart  in  Vienna  wrote  his  operas  in  Italian.  The 
form  of  much  of  German  music  was  in  the  Italian  style. 
"Don  Giovanni"  and  ''The  Magic  Flute"  are  purely 
Italian.  The  great  Beethoven  aimed  at  a  purely  Ger- 
man opera  in  his  "Fidelio,"  but  this  is  rather  cosmo- 
politan than  German.  The  son  of  an  actor  and  theater 
manager,  K.  M.  von  Weber,  was  more  successful  in 
establishing  a  purely  German  opera,  especially  in  the 
"Freischutz,"  which  he  wrote  for  the  Dresden  opera. 
It  aroused  popular  enthusiasm  and  stimulated  the  Ger- 
man composers  toward  national  music.  This  national 
spirit  culminated  in  the  greatest  of  all  opera  composers, 
Richard  Wagner,  w^ho  also  was  the  son  of  an  actor. 
Wagner  was  early  attracted  to  the  study  of  Shake- 
spearean dramas.  He  was  a  man  apart  from  others;  he 
wenthisown way,  thoughthis  own  thoughts,  and  knocked 
popular  ideals  from  their  pedestals  right  and  left.  He 
simply  saw  clearer  and  further  ahead  than  others.  His 
operas  and  music  used  to  be  called  the  music  of  the 
future,  but  they  are  now,  and  have  been  for  a  long 
time,  the  music  of  the  present,  and  Wagner  operas  are 
played  more  often  than  all  other  operas  combined. 

In  England  there  has  been  no  original  school  of 
opera.  English  composers  have  followed  more  or  less 
on  the  lines  of  the  Italian,  French  and  German  writers. 
The  best  known  opera  of  an  English  composer  is  "The 
Bohemian  Girl"  by  Balfe,  who  is  really  an  Irishman. 
'The  Mikado"  and  "Pinafore,"  by  Sir  Arthur  Sullivan 
and  W.  S.  Gilbert,  are  in  reality  operettas,  and  as  such 
have  enjoyed  and  deserved  great  popularity. 

In  America,  thus  far,  there  have  been  only  few  oper- 
atic composers.  The  most  successful  has  been  Reg- 
inald de  Koven. 


LESSON  XVI 


9 


Mi 

Fig.  107 
Don  Giovanni — Mozart. 


In  the  last  fifteen  or  twenty  years  a  large  number  of 
opera  composers  of  superior  talent  have  made  their 
way  to  the  front  and  still  hold  the  attention  of  the 
public.  Such  men  are  Leoncavallo  and  Puccini  in 
Italy,  Massenet  and  Saint-Saens  in  France,  Richard 
Strauss  and  Humperdink  in  Germany,  while  Lehar,  the 
composer  of  the  "Merry  Widow,"  and  others  in  Austria, 
maintain  the  interest  in  opera  and  especially  the  de- 
mand for  many  singers.  Illustrations  of  several  of  the 
newer  kinds  of  opera  are  given  in  this  and  other  lessons, 
as  well  as  of  the  older  schools  of  opera. 

THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  SONG 

As  we  have  seen,  songs  were  among  the  earliest 
manifestations  of  what  could  be  called  music.  The  im- 
pulse to  express  feeling  vocally  is  universal,  so  is  the 
desire  to  express  rhythm.  The  monotonous  chant  of 
the  savages  naturally  falls  into  measured  cadences,  so 
their  war  songs  are  accomoanied  by  the  rhythmic  beat- 


10 


LESSON  XVI 


ing  of  a  drum  or  gong.  Out  of  this  feeling  for  melody 
and  rhythm  grew  lyric  poetry  and  the  music  to  which 
it  was  sung.  Early  songs  were  commonly  a  ballad 
stanza,  of  four  lines  exactly  fitting  our  eight-measure 
musical  period.  An  excellent  example  of  such  an  earl}^ 
ballad  form  is  the  ancient  French  tune  ''Malbrook," 
known  in  America  as  ''We  Won't  Go  Home  Till  Morn- 
ing," These  simple  forms  were  more  or  less  extended 
in  the  hands  of  the  great  masters. 

But  even  the  more  elaborate  ballads  of  the  great 
composers  were  apt  to  make  a  single  air  or  melody  do 
duty  for  a  good  many  stanzas,  whereas  literary  and 
poetic  development  brought  with  them  a  desire  to  ex- 
press poetry  more  fully  than  by  a  constant  repetition 
of  the  same  melody. 

The  man  who  grasped  this  principle  more  clearly 
than  any  other  composer  was  Franz  Schubert  (1797- 
1828).  His  work  is  so  important,  both  in  quantity  and 
quality,  that  he  must  be  regarded  as  the  creator  of  all 
art  song.  Up  to  his  time  the  poet  was  poorly  thought 
of;  the  actor  was  despised.  In  England,  Shakespeare 
was  considered  to  rank  not  much  above  the  tramp; 
even  later,  when  Haendel  produced  some  of  his  operas, 
the  English  papers  in  the  Provinces  announced  that 
Haendel,  with  his  ''lousy"  troup  of  fiddlers,  was  in  town . 
Civilization,  such  as  it  was,  was  confined  to  the  nobles 
and  the  court.  Even  the  teachers  at  the  universities 
were  indifTerent.  Their  interest  was  taken  up  in  Latin 
theses  of  great  length  and  little  sense.  We  owe  our 
civilization  entirely  to  the  independent  minds  of  the 
few  poets,  musicians  and  thinkers  who  were  so  far 
above  the  crowed  of  the  dominant  leaders  that  neither 
could  understand  the  other. 

With  Beethoven's  ninth  symphony,  the  classic  period 
of  music  reached  its  apex. 


LESSON  XVI 


11 


The  new  school  of  art  which  advocates  more  than  just 
perfection  of  form  and  thought,  which  is  subjective,  and 
interested  in  the  expression  of  feeHng  and  imagination 
only,  is  called  the  romantic  school.  Classic  repose  and 
nobility  of  form  had  come  to  be  regarded  as  an  academic 
repression  of  individual  life.  Politically,  the  nations 
were  again  under  the  sceptre  of  reactionary  govern- 
ment, who  threatened  now  the  intellectual  as  well  as 
the  physical  life  of  the  individual.  Poetry  and  litera- 
ture, disgusted  with  political  life,  withdrew  into  them- 
selves. They  began  to  dream.  Artists  had  grown  in 
intellect.  They  had  become  sensitive,  perhaps  not  see- 
ing as  clearly  as  the  fathers  of  the  classic  period,  but 
feeling  more  deeply.  They  demanded  a  more  colorful, 
richer  life,  more  adventurous,  and  more  interesting 
than  life  as  they  found  it.  In  this  period  fell  the  birth 

/     of  Franz  Schubert,  the  son  of  a  public  school  teacher 

"    near  Vienna. 

At  the  age  of  eleven  years  he  joined  the  boys'  choir 
at  the  court  chapel  in  Vienna.  His  passion  for  compos- 
ing could  only  be  satisfied  when  a  friend  brought  him 
the  necessary  writing  paper,  for  Schubert's  father  was 
too  poor  to  give  him  the  needed  supplies.  When  his 
voice  broke  and  made  singing  impossible,  he  accepted  a 
position  as  primary  teacher,  receiving  therefor  the  salary 
of  about  thirty  dollars  for  an  entire  year's  teaching. 

In  spite  of  this  poverty  and  uncongenial  work,  his 
compositions  increased  in  number,  quality  and  beauty. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  had  laid  the  cornerstone  of 
his  future  popularity  with  "The  Erl  King."  In  1816, 
a  friend  offered  him  a  home  and  released  him  from 
the  irksome  teaching.  His  wonderful  talent  was  not 
appreciated  at  that  time.  No  publisher  had  the  fore- 
sight or  courage  to  publish  his  works.  Only  after  an 
opera  singer  and  admirer  of  Schubert's  songs  had  sung 


12 


LESSON  XVI 


them  in  concerts,  did  people  begin  to  take  notice  of 
him.  Finally,  when  the  world's  greatest  pianist  and 
most  generous  of  men,  Franz  Liszt,  transcribed  many 
of  the  best  songs  of  Schubert  for  the  piano,  and  played 
them  everywhere,  the  world  opened  its  eyes  to  the  new 
and  great  light  that  had  risen. 

Heretofore,  a  poem  had  been  provided  with  a  melo- 
dy, but  in  the  hands  of  Schubert  a  poem  became  a 
song.  Words  and  music  belong  together.  What  the 
words  only  say,  the  music  makes  you  feel.  The  accom- 
paniment, too,  becomes  an  essential  part  of  the  poem. 
In  this  respect  Schubert  paved  the  way  for  Berlioz  and 
Wagner,  and  the  entire  modern  school  of  opera.  He 
caught  the  sense  and  sentiment  of  the  poem. 

Just  as  Schubert  gave  us  the  modern  song,  so  Carl 
Loewe,  who  was  contemporary  with  him,  gave  us  the 
modern  ballad. 

The  ballad  was  originally  a  dance  song.  When  the 
Italian  peasants  danced,  they  sang,  because  in  the  early 
centuries,  instrumental  music  was  almost  unknown. 
This  dance  song  was  improved  by  the  minstrels.  It 
soon  became  known  in  England,  and  there  was  taken 
up  by  the  bards  in  their  songs  with  historical,  political 
and  heroic  subjects.  From  that  time  on,  this  ballad 
form  of  singing  became  very  popular.  It  told  stories 
in  verse  and  music.  It  describes  time,  scenery,  dialogue 
and  action.  In  fact  it  is  a  little  opera  or  story  told  by 
one  singer. 

Loewe  took  up  this  form  and  enlarged  it.  He 
brought  the  ballad  to  the  highest  development.  For 
instance,  in  the  ballad,  ''Archibald  Douglas,"  we  hear 
the  canter  of  the  horse,  the  waterfall,  we  feel  the  spirit 
of  the  heather  and  the  woods,  we  feel  even  the  silence 
of  the  trees.  Also,  in  "Tom,  the  Rhymer,"  we  are  made 


LESSON  XVI 


13 


to  see  the  fairy  of  the  woods,  hear  the  tinkle  of  the  bells 
and  feel  the  whole  mysterious  witchery  of  the  Scottish 
Highlands.  Loewe's  heart  lies  buried  within  the  organ 
of  the  Church  of  St.  Jacob,  in  Stettin,  where  he  was 
organist  for  many  years. 

Not  as  poor  in  purse  as  Schubert,  but  nearly  equal 
in  genius,  was  Robert  Schumann,  who  carried  on  the 
form  established  by  Schubert,  and  enriched  it,  espe- 
cially in  the  accompaniment,  which  has  now  become 
just  as  important  as  the  song  itself. 

There  have  been  many  writers  of  songs  since  Schu- 
mann and  Schubert  died.  The  good  ones  are  more  or 
less  followers  of  these  two  pioneers.  Nothing  especially 
remarkable  has  been  accomplished  since.  The  world 
now  has  entered  the  period  of  science,  of  analytical 
knowledge,  of  exact  methods,  which  will,  in  time,  bring 
the  great  works  of  the  past  to  the  masses.  The  great 
mass  of  people  have  not  as  yet  been  educated  to  an 
appreciation  of  the  works  of  the  great  masters.  In  the 
past  we  had  comparatively  few  artists  who  could  in- 
terpret the  great  works. 

The  attempts  that  have  in  the  past  been  made  to 
develop  the  human  voice  will  be  related  in  the  next 
lesson.  It  seemed  to  me  necessary  that  you  should 
know  something  of  the  history  of  singing  and  music. 
The  crude  savage,  triumphing  after  a  successful  kill, 
the  barbarian  singing  his  war  song,  old  men  relating  in 
measured  cadences  the  deeds  of  their  forefathers,  priests 
chanting  to  some  god  of  wood  or  stone,  such  were  the 
forerunners  of  our  poets,  orators  and  singers.  The 
sound  of  the  voice  must  have  played  a  prominent  part 
and,  in  fact,  we  know  from  history  and  present-day  ex- 
perience that  the  voice  as  such,  aside  from  the  thought 
itself,  has  played  a  very  important  part  in  human  life. 


14 


LESSON  XVI 


EXERCISES  FOR  LESSON  XVI 
THE  PALATE  ATTACK 

We  have  a  saying  in  America  "A  half  loaf  is  better 
than  none."  This  applies  also  to  the  palate  attack.  The 
highest  type  of  voice  can  be  attained  only  by  the  tongue 
attack,  and  all  lessons  that  you  have  so  far  received 
and  all  those  which  are  yet  to  come,  tend  to  develop 
primarily  the  tongue  attack.  But  the  tongue  attack 
depends  solely  upon  the  strength  of  the  hyo-glossi 
muscle.  Now  some  of  my  students  have  by  nature  very 
weak  hyo-glossi  muscles  and  need  much  practice  and 
time  to  develop  this  strength. 

In  the  meantime  they  must  still  be  able  to  use  their 
voices  ro  the  best  advantage.  Everybody  has  some 
voice  and  even  a  little  natural  voice  can  be  utilized  to 
great  advantage  when  you  know  how.  This  lesson  is 
written  especially  for  those  with  very  weak  voices,  in 
order  to  help  them  while  they  are  practicing  for  better 
control  and  greater  strength  of  the  h^^o-glossi  muscle. 
All  exercises  of  the  tongue  should  be  continued  every 
day.  They  are  indispensable.  Practice  most  with  the 
little  finger  under  the  tongue.  See  that  the  groove  is 
made  far  back  in  the  tongue.  Frequently  test  the 
larynx.  See  that  it  moves  neither  up  nor  down,  x^lso 
that  the  palate  remains  quiet  while  you  make  the 
groove.  Of  course  the  palate  will  move  a  little  when 
you  speak  or  sing. 

While  this  lesson  is  written  especially  for  ver}'  weak 
voices,  those  with  strong  voices  must  also  study  it  as 
carefully  as  though  they  had  weak  voices.  Where  there 
is  light,  there  also  must  be  shade.  To  speak  or  to  sing 
always  at  the  same  rate  of  strength,  would  become 
monotonous.  Both  speech  and  song  would  lose  much 
of  their  effect.   The  highest  quality  of  voice  demands 


LESSON  XVI 


15 


shading.  The  most  powerful  tone,  as  well  as  the  lightest 
whisper,  must  be  under  the  control  of  the  speaker  and 
singer. 

This  lesson  is  also  most  valuable  to  those  with  de- 
fective voices,  for  it  will  teach  them  not  only  the  same 
voice  control  as  the  normal  speaker,  but  it  will  en- 
lighten them  materially  as  to  their  former  habits  of 
speech. 

In  the  ''glottis  attack"  you  have  been  given  the 
means  of  getting  a  strong  voice  quickly  and  easily. 
Now  you  are  getting  the  means  to  produce  a  light, 
but  very  distinct  voice,  also,  quickly  and  comparatively 
easily. 

Singers  will  need  just  this  attack,  for  so-called  "head 
tones"  and  for  special  voice  effects,  when  we  come  to 
the  lesson  dealing  with  these  points.  They  should  study 
this  attack  now  and  be  all  the  better  prepared  for  the 
future  lessons. 

Turn  to  Fig.  30,  Lesson  III,  ''The  Complete  Vocal 
Mechanism,"  and  observe  the  muscle  that  grows  out 
of  the  vsoft  palate  (9)  and  descends  into  the  rear  horn 
of  the  thyroid  cartilage  (2B).  This  is  the  main  vocal 
muscle.  When  this  muscle  is  cut,  voice  is  no  longer 
possible.  The  hyo-glossi  muscle,  of  which  you  have 
heard  so  much,  gives  this  muscle,  the  palato-pharyngei, 
consistency  and  strength,  but  only  when  the  hyo-glossi 
is  very  strong;  otherwise  it  must  operate  alone.  It  can 
operate  alone,  but  only  when  the  vocal  cords  remain 
thin.  Therefore,  when  you  speak  or  sing  with  this 
muscle  alone,  the  voice  cannot  be  as  large  and  full  as 
it  is  when  the  other  muscles,  especially  the  hyo-glossi 
muscle,  are  also  active. 

But  while  the  quantity  of  voice  will  be  less,  the 
quality  is  not  interfered  with.  A  voice  may  not  be  very 
strong  and  yet  the  quality  may  be  very  good ;  nor  does 


16 


LESSON  XVI 


a  weak  voice  mean  that  you  have  to  wait  for  the  full 
strength  of  the  hyo-glossi  muscle  to  speak  or  sing  in 
public.  Not  at  all.  This  exercise  will  make  your  voice 
clear  and  distinct,  so  that  it  can  be  heard  even  in  a  fair- 
sized  hall  or  church.  Any  voice  that  is  clear  and  dis- 
tinct, not  breathy  or  husky,  can  be  heard  at  quite  a 
distance  if  handled  properly. 

1.  Whisper,  or  make  a  sibilent  sound,  as  of  the 
wind,  as  softly  as  you  can — "ha,"  ''ha,"  ''ha."  Gradually 
observe  that  you  feel  the  warm  breath  above  the  tongue 
against  the  palate,  but  surely  not  in  the  nose! 

2.  Think  of  a  low  sound,  or  first  sing  a  low  tone  to 
impress  your  ear  and  then  try  to  whisper  "ha."  This 
low  pitch  may  be  hard  to  get  for  some  of  you.  Do  not 
strain  to  get  a  low  pitch;  simply  use  the  lowest  pitch 
you  can  get  without  straining.  See  to  it  that  it  is  not 
rough  and  not  breathy. 

3.  Now  try  to  whisper  "ha"  as  high  as  you  can, 
as  high  and  thin  as  a  mosquito  sounds.  When  you 
succeed,  you  will  observe  a  thin,  slender  thread  or 
stream  of  breath  and  tone.  It  will  seem  to  be  right 
under  the  nose,  but  never,  under  any  condition, 
through  the  nose! 

You  will  feel  a  certain  tightness  in  the  palate  as 
long  as  you  whisper  in  a  high  pitch;  this  is  right.  You 
should  not,  however,  feel  any  tightness  in  the  throat. 
Tightness  in  the  throat  is  wrong. 

Palate  tension  is  right.  Throat  tension  is  wrong. 

Take  only  your  ordinary  breath.  Do  not  try  to 
hold  t^e  breath,  merely  think  first  of  a  medium  pitch, 
then  a  low  pitch,  and  then  higher  and  higher,  as  high 
and  as  thin  as  a  mosquito's  sound.  When  you  suc- 
ceed, there  will  be  no  suggestion  even  of  breathiness. 
The  whisper  will  be  v«ry  clear  and  you  can  hold  it 
for  a  long  while. 


LESSON  XVI 


17 


Experiment  until  you  can  get  a  clear,  clean  whis- 
per. Think,  also,  that  you  want  to  tell  a  secret  to 
someone  in  a  crowd  of  people,  but  you  don't  want 
anybody  else  to  hear  it. 

The  husky,  rough,  breathy  whisper  often  heard  is 
more  than  useless.  The  catarrhal  whisper  is  directly 
dangerous.  It  is  a  disease. 

Many  persons,  in  fact  almost  all  who  have  weak 
voices,  will  find,  upon  examining  the  tonsil  region,  that 
the  arches  are  more  or  less  inflamed,  often  angry  red. 
Bear  in  mind,  as  a  hopeful  sign,  that  it  is  not  the  in- 
flammation of  the  palate  and  tonsils  that  causes  your 
weak  or  husky  voice,  or  your  irritation  and  constant 
clearing  of  the  throat.  Just  the  reverse  is  true. 

Your  weak  voice  is  the  cause  of  inflammation! 
Make  your  voice  strong  and  the  inflammation  will 
disappear. 

4.  Repeat  the  whisper,  low,  medium,  high  and  very 
high.  Alternately  place  a  hand  on  the  chest  or  the 
abdomen,  to  see  that  when  your  whisper  is  clear  and 
distinct,  not  breathy,  neither  chest  nor  abdomen  move 
much.  To  the  contrary,  there  is  only  a  very  gradual 
sinking  noticed  in  the  chest  as  you  continue  to  whisper. 
Do  not  try  to  hold  your  breath.  Gradually  forget  both 
chest  and  abdomen  as  being  materially  implicated  in 
the  sound. 

5.  Prove  the  above  by  whispering  some  sentence  like: 
"Old  Mother  Hubbard  went  to  the  cupboard  to  get  her 
poor  dog  a  bone."  Whisper  this  at  first  in  a  careless, 
breathy,  even  husky  manner.  Place  the  hand  on  chest 
or  abdomen  and  notice  that  both  sink  very  fast.  But 
if  you  suddenly  whisper  in  the  right  way,  as  taught 
under  paragraphs  1  to  5,  neither  the  chest  nor  the  abdo- 
men move,  or  but  very  slightly. 


18 


LESSON  XVI 


These  are  not  exercises  that  you  practice  much.  You 
"catch  on"  and  then  you  have  it.  Some  may  catch  on 
very  quickly,  others  slowly.  Just  keep  on  trying  until 
you  do  catch  on. 

PROLONGED  SPEAKING 

1.  Read  the  following  lines  (Lincoln's  address  at 
Utica)  in  your  usual  way  of  reading  aloud.  Do  not 
try  to  read  either  well  or  badly,  but  just  in  your  own 
natural  way.  Listen  to  yourself.  Is  your  voice  husky, 
scratchy  and  breathy,  or  is  it  clear,  distinct,  and  free? 

"Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  I  have  no  speech  to  make 
to  you,  and  no  time  to  speak  in.  I  appear  before  you 
that  I  may  see  you,  and  that  you  may  see  me;  and  I 
am  willing  to  admit  that,  so  far  as  the  ladies  are  con- 
cerned, I  have  the  best  of  the  bargain,  though  I  wish 
it  understood  that  I  do  not  make  the  same  acknowl- 
edgment concerning  the  men." 

After  reading  this  aloud  in  your  natural  way,  read 
it  again  aloud  in  the  worst,  most  careless  way  you 
can,  and  closely  observe  your  faults. 

2.  Now  whisper  the  lines,  first  low,  then  higher  and 
lastly  very  high.  Of  course  you  have  to  read  slowly. 
Notice  that  the  voice  seems  to  come  from  above  the 
tongue,  near  the  palate.  You  will  feel  a  gentle  tension 
in  the  soft  palate,  but  nowhere  else.  Repeat  until  you 
are  sure  that  there  is  now  no  breath  escaping  with  the 
words,  no  huskiness,  no  scratching;  on  the  contrary, 
that  every  word  is  clear  and  distinct.  Test  it  by 
whispering  the  lines  to  a  friend  who  has  not  read  it. 
If  you  have  succeeded,  he  will  understand  every  word, 
even  though  you  are  only  whispering. 

3.  Now  read  it  aloud,  but  without  the  slightest 
exertion.   Simply  speak  from  the  point  where  you  felt 


LESSON  XVI 


19 


the  breath  against  the  palate,  or  where  you  felt  the 
little  tension  above  the  tongue.  That  is  the  point  of 
palate  attack. 

Your  voice  will  be  rather  light,  but  very  clear  and 
free.  You  can  often  practice  speaking  for  hours  in  this 
way  and  be  heard  distinctly  in  large  places.  These 
are  the  so-called  "head  tones,"  so  very  important  for 
amateur  singers  and  for  the  artist  singer,  for  special 
effects. 

4.  When  reading  in  this  manner,  notice  the  natural 
pitch  of  your  voice.  Every  person  has  some  pitch  (low 
or  high)  which  is  most  natural  and  easiest.  The  pitch 
in  which  you  speak  most  easily  is  your  own  natural 
pitch,,  and  it  is  well  to  remember  that  pitch,  because  at 
moments  of  excitement  you  are  liable  to  forget  it. 

It  may  help  the  speaker  to  fix  the  pitch  of  his  voice 
in  mind,  to  buy  a  tuning  fife  at  some  music  store.  These 
fifes  are  graded,  so  that  you  can  easily  find  out  to  what 
pitch  your  voice  corresponds.  Those  who  own  a  piano, 
of  course,  can  find  their  pitch  very  easily  by  comparison 
with  the  key  on  the  piano.  The  usual  pitch  for  weaker 
voices  is  from  E  first  line  to  G,  or  even  A  above  that. 

In  the  next  lesson  we  will  review  all  these  attacks 
and  combine  them,  so  that  you  will  know  how  to 
modulate  the  voice  for  dramatic  effects  and  for  variety. 
Singers  will  be  taught  some  songs,  beginning  with  the 
next  lesson,  which  will  gradually  embody  all  that  has 
been  taught  so  far.  Defective  voices  should  be  benefited 
very  greatly  by  this  lesson ;  it  will  help  them  over  many 
present  difficulties. 


20  LESSON  XVI 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XVI 

(1)  Who  is  considered  the  first  voice  teacher? 

(2)  V^hen  was  the  time  of  the  great  singers? 

(3)  Who  is  considered  the  greatest  song  composer? 

(4)  What  is  the  palate  attack? 

(5)  Can  you  whisper  without  throatiness? 

(6)  Is  your  throat  loose  when  you  whisper? 

(7)  Can  you  read  distinctly  with  the  whisper? 

(8)  What  is  your  best  whisper,  high,  medium,  or  low? 

(9)  What  is  the  pitch  of  your  natural  speaking  voice? 
(10)  How  many  attacks  have  been  taught? 


LESSON  XVII 

HISTORY  OF  VOICE  AND  VOICE  METHODS 

{Continued) 

ORATORY  AND  SINGING 

Henry  Ward  Beecher  said:  "Not  until  human  nature 
is  other  than  it  is,  will  the  function  of  the  living  voice, 
the  greatest  force  on  earth  among  men,  cease." 


DEMOSTHENES. 


Fig.  108 

The  ancients  regarded  eloquence  as  of  celestial  origin, 
ascribing  it  to  Hermes,  the  messenger  of  Olympus. 
They  claimed  that  oratory  and  freedom  are  twins. 
Pericles,  Demosthenes  and  Aristotle  were  the  most  con- 

1 

®  Printed  in  Chicago,  111.,  U.  S.  A. 


2 


LESSON  XVII 


spicuous  and  influential  men  in  Athens.  Transplanted 
to  Rome,  we  find  that  oratory  became  of  great  impor- 
tance, secondary  only  to  the  arts  of  war.  It  was  the 
speech  of  Brutus,  holding  aloft  the  bloody  knife  with 
which  Lucretia  had  been  slain,  that  fired  the  people  to 
expel  the  Tarquin.  Cicero  was  the  type  of  Roman 
orators. 

With  the  advent  of  the  Apostle  St.  Paul,  who  spoke 
with  a  "Tongue  of  Fire,"  a  new  civilization  was  intro- 
duced, that  of  the  "Man  of  Nazareth."     When  the 


Fig.  109J 

•'The  Man  of  Nazareth"— Van  Dyck. 


LESSON  XVII 


3 


Emperor  Constantine  espoused  Christianity,  one  of  his 
first  acts  was  to  proclaim  freedom  of  speech.  Discus- 
sion assumed  a  breadth  and  depth  which  Hterally  shook 
the  pillars  of  the  state  and  caused  the  foundations  of  the 
church  to  tremble.  The  great  orators  of  the  church 
arose,  such  as  Ambrose  of  Milan,  St.  Augustine  and 
Leo  the  Great,  and  set  things  to  right  again. 

■  In  the  Middle  Ages  we  find  the  Venerable  Bede  in 
England  and  Thomas  Aquinas  in  Germany,  as  bright 
lights  in  the  surrounding  darkness.  Then  came  Peter, 
the  Hermit,  preaching  the  crusades,  whose  voice  thrilled 
the  heart  of  Europe  to  march  against  the  infidels  in 
Palestine.  Then,  later  on,  arose  the  voice  of  Savonarola, 
to  rebuke  the  vices  of  a  dissolute  age.  Luther,  Knox, 
and  Calvin  were  the  voices  which  inspired  the  Refor- 
mation. In  the  English  parliament  we  remember  such 
men  as  Pitt  and  Gladstone,  whose  oratorical  arts  influ- 
enced the  nation.  The  voice  of  Bismarck  was  needed  to 
bring  about  a  united  Germany. 

Vigorous  oratory  has  flourished  in  the  United  States 
from  the  beginning.  As  a  people,  we  have  never  been 
without  capable  and  fearless  men  to  voice  noble  senti- 
ments of  patriotism  and  liberty.  The  Colonial  and 
Revolutionary  periods  of  our  history  were  crowded  with 
events  as  thrilling  as  ever  stirred  the  multitudes  of 
Athens  and  Sparta.  A  host  of  great  orators  arose — 
John  Quincy  Adams,  Samuel  Adams,  Patrick  Henry, 
etc.,  whose  fires  of  eloquence  created  a  new  tradition 
and  inspiration,  unrestrained  by  any  influence  from 
abroad.  Breathing  the  air  of  freedom,  there  was  every 
incentive  to  eloquence,  and  it  is  no  surprise  to  the  stu- 
dent of  history  to  find  the  American  colonies  resound- 
ing with  impassioned  oratory.  Patrick  Henry,  ''We 
must  fight!   I  repeat  it,  sir,  we  must  fight!"  was  the 


4 


LESSON  XVII 


electrical  thrill  of  the  Revolution.  So  were  Alexander 
Hamilton  and  Benjamin  Franklin  among  those  whose 
eloquence  and  statesmanship  founded  the  Constitution. 

Clay,  Calhoun  and  Webster  have  become  household 
words  as  oratorical  giants.  In  the  pulpit,  too,  we  have 
had  many  splendid  orators.  Henry  Ward  Beecher's 
silvery  voice,  rare  compass  and  power  stood  the  test  of 
popularity  for  half  a  century.  Abraham  Lincoln,  the 
greatest  of  all  Americans,  was  also  perhaps  the  fore- 
most of  orators  of  his  time.  The  single  speech  of  William 
J.  Bryan,  in  the  Chicago  Convention  of  1896,  electrified 
millions;  the  results  following  the  silvery  voice  of  the 
candidate  have  had  no  parallel  in  the  history  of  America. 
Scores  of  public  men  in  Washington  and  elsewhere,  in 
the  pulpit  and  in  the  halls  of  justice,  keep  alive  the  fires 
of  patriotism,  justice  and  liberty. 


>- Oratory  is  speaking  in  public,  but  not  all  public 
speaking  is  oratory.  The  true  orator,  whether  as  a 
statesman,  in  the  pulpit,  in  court,  as  a  salesman,  teacher 
or  anything  else,  is  he  whose  words  have  a  visible,  prac- 
tical effect  upon  those  who  hear  him.  He  must  bring 
his  words  home,  "put  it  over;"  the  result  must  tell  of 
his  worth. 

The  great  orators  were  not  great  simply  because 
their  ideas  were  greater  than  others,  but  mainly  be- 
cause they  had  the  power  to  present  their  subject  with 
a  voice  of  feeling  so  deep  and  sincere  that  it  affected  the 
hearts  of  those  who  heard  them. 

I  am  trying  very  hard  to  give  you  a  short  summary 
of  all  that  has  been  done  in  the  matter  of  voice  training, 
from  the  earliest  time  of  which  we  have  any  record  to 
the  present.    In  this  lesson  I  shall  give  you  what  the 


LESSON  XVII 


scientists  (old  and  new)  have  said  about  the  voice.  In 
the  next  lesson  I  will  tell  you  of  the  methods  of  prac- 
tical voice  teachers  as  far  back  as  we  have  any  records. 


As  already  mentioned,  the  ancients  made  a  good 
deal  of  the  study  of  voice.  There  can  be  no  doubt  about 
that,  because  with  them  public  speaking  was  of  much 
greater  importance  than  with  us.  Now  we  have  news- 
papers, books  and  magazines;  they  had  neither,  and 
the  public  speaker  supplied  the  demand  for  news  and 
education. 

They  had  no  exact  physiologically  scientific  method. 
Whatever  they  did  to  develop  the  voice  was  more  in  the 
nature  of  experiment  and  guesswork,  and  we  learn  more 
from  their  mistakes  than  from  any  definite  accomplish- 
ment. 

Hippocrates  (430  B.  C.)  knew  only  that  for  a  good 
voice  it  was  necessary  to  breathe;  the  human  voice  to 
him  was  like  a  whistle. 

Aristotle  (350  B.  C.)  believed  that  the  compass  of  a 
voice  depended  on  the  age  of  the  individual;  that  the 


JOHN  CALVIN. 


Fig.  110 


6 


LESSON  XVII 


size  of  larynx  was  the  deciding  factor.  He  thought  that 
a  person  could  enlarge  or  diminish  the  size  of  the  vocal 
apparatus. 

Galen  (160  A.  D.)  made  the  first  anatomical  study  of 
voice.  His  analyses  were  based  on  the  larynx  of  the  pig. 
The  term  "glottis"  originated  with  him.  Glottis  was 
the  tongue  of  an  instrument  much  used  in  his  time  and 
he  thought  it  had  a  great  resemblance  to  the  voice 
instrument.  He  says  that  in  the  hollow  or  tube  of  the 
larynx  there  is  a  protuberance  unlike  any  formed  in 
animals,  and  that  the  air  pushes  against  this.  The 
protuberance  is  made  narrow  by  two  muscles  which  run 
from  the  thyroid  cartilage  to  the  arytaenoid  cartilage. 
He  also  claims  that  nose  breath  is  needed  more  for 
singing  than  for  speaking. 

Perault  (1680)  was  the  first  who  discovered  that  the 
muscles  which  make  up  the  vocal  cords  are  the  real 
source  of  voice. 

Dodart  (1700),  in  his  memories  dedicated  to  the 
Academy  of  Science  in  Paris,  says:  "The  glottis  is  the 
source  of  voice.  The  voice  results  from  strongly  agi- 
tated air.  The  difference  between  the  chest  and  falsetto 
voice  is  that,  for  the  chest  tone,  the  space  of  mouth  and 
nose  vibrate  normally,  while  in  falsetto,  the  space  of  the 
nose  vibrates  more  and  the  space  of  the  mouth  less! 

Anton  Ferrin,  Paris  (1741),  is  considered  the  author 
of  experimental  voice  physiology.  He  experimented  with 
the  larynx  of  dogs.  'T  brought  the  lips  of  the  glottis 
together  and  blew  strongly  through  the  air  tube.  At 
once  the  organ  seemed  to  come  to  life,  and  I  heard  not 
one,  but  many  tones,  which  to  me  were  more  sym- 
pathetic than  any  concert." 

He  found  that  the  voice  is  stronger  when  the  vocal 
chords  are  near  together,  and  that  the  voice  is  weaker 


LESSON  XVII 


7 


when  the  vocal  chords  are  farther  apart.  If  you  stop 
the  vibrations  of  the  chords,  no  voice  is  possible.  When 
the  chords  are  shortened,  the  pitch  of  the  voice  gets 
higher,  just  as  when  the  strings  of  an  instrument  are 


Fig.  Ill 
A.  Lincoln. 


shortened.  During  life  the  vocal  chords  are  never  short- 
ened. The  difference  in  tension  is  the  cause  of  the 
difference  of  pitch.  He  even  observed  correctly  the 
mechanical  means  of  tensing  or  stretching  the  vocal 
chords. 


8 


LESSON  XVII 


He  says:  "If  you  turn  the  front  part  of  the  thyroid 
cartilage  downward,  making  the  space  between  it  and 
the  cricoid  cartilage  below  smaller,  the  pitch  rises  be- 
cause the  vocal  chords  are  being  tensed  or  stretched." 

Wolfgang  von  Kempelen  (1791)  was  the  inventor  of 
a  speaking  mechanism.  He  stretched  two  membranes 
over  an  elastic  ring.  If  you  bent  the  ring,  the  mem- 
branes were  stretched,  and  by  blowing  breath  against 
them  you  obtained  tones.  As  you  bent  the  ring  more 
and  more,  the  tones  rose  in  pitch.  Contrariwise,  if  the 
ring  was  pressed  inward,  the  membranes  relaxed  and 
no  tone  was  possible. 

Cuvin  (1803)  :''The  spaces  of  the  pharynx  and  mouth 
determine  the  original  tone  by  their  length  and  shape, 
and  the  glottis  through  tension  causes  the  overtones." 

Dutrochet  (1806)  declared  that  the  muscles  "thyro- 
arytaenoides"  are  the  origin  of  voice;  the  difference  of 
pitch  was  caused  by  stretching  these  muscles.  The 
human  voice  was  like  a  cornet,  where  the  original  cause 
of  tone  was  the  tension  of  the  lips  of  the  player.  The 
vocal  chords  were  only  the  covering  of  this  muscle,  to 
protect  it. 

Liskovius  (1814)  said  the  origin  of  voice  was  the  air 
in  the  glottis.  By  increasing  the  breath  pressure,  the 
pitch  could  be  raised  five  tones.  The  vocal  chords  vibrate. 

Savart  (1825)  compares  voice  to  a  whistle.  The  space 
of  mouth  and  pharynx  act  like  organ  pipes. 

Magendie  (1816)  says  the  more  the  arytaenoid  mus- 
cles are  stretched  the  more  are  they  capable  of  producing 
tone,  and  the  faster  they  vibrate,  the  higher  is  the  pitch- 

Malgaigne  (1831)  compares  the  voice  to  the  tongues 
of  organ  pipes.  The  thyro-arytaenoid  muscles  are  like 
the  lips  of  the  cornet  player. 


LESSON  XVII 


9 


Colombat  d'Isire  (1834)  says:  "The  falsetto  voice 
is  caused  by  a  contraction  of  the  root  of  the  tongue  and 
palate." 


ARISTOTLE. 
Fig.  112 

Bennati  (1833)  finds  that  the  larynx  is  only  of  second- 
ary importance;  the  modulation  (quality)  of  voice  is 
caused  by  the  muscles  of  the  pharynx. 

Joh.  Mueller  (1858)  is  considered  the  most  promi- 
nent among  those  who  have  made  an  exhaustive  re- 
search into  the  physiological  mechanism  of  the  voice. 
After  studying  the  human  larynx,  he  invented  an  arti- 
ficial larynx.  With  this  artificial  larynx  he  experimented 
in  phonetical  mechanism.  To  one  end  of  a  tube  he 
fastened  two  rubber  bands.  The  space  between  the 
bands  is  the  glottis  and  the  rims  are  the  vocal  chords 


10 


LESSON  XVII 


The  ring  cartilage  and  Adam's  apple  are  made  of  metal 
and  attached  to  the  tube  by  means  of  sinews  on  the 
metal  parts.  The  rubber  bands  can  be  stretched  in 
much  the  same  manner  as  the  vocal  chords  are.  By 
blowing  breath  through  the  other  end  of  the  tube  and 
adjusting  the  screws,  the  bands  are  stretched  to  dif- 
ferent degrees  of  tensity.  Some  of  the  results  of  his 
experiments  are  valuable,  for  instance: 

The  tones  change  with  increasing  tension. 

Vocal  chords  which  give  ''C"  under  a  tension  of  4 
ounces,  do  not  give  the  octave  ''C"  when  the  tension 
is  16  ounces,  as  is  the  case  with  strings,  but  only  "A," 
and  when  the  tension  is  64  ounces,  the  tone  is  not  ''C," 
the  double  octave  as  with  strings,  but  only  "G"  sharp. 

When  the  vocal  chords  are  removed  from  the  larynx 
and  artificially  stretched,  the  tone  is  weak  and  poor. 
Such  vocal  chords  gave,  by  a  stretching  process  of  4 
ounces,  "D,"  by  one  of  16  ounces,  only  "A"  sharp. 

By  increasing  the  longitudinal  tension  the  com- 
pass of  the  tones  can  be  increased  two  octaves.  If 

you  go  beyond  that  (with  the  dead  vocal  chords)  the 
tones  become  shrill  and  disagreeable. 

The  principal  difference  between  chest  tones  and  fal- 
setto tones  is  that  in  chest  tones  the  entire  vocal  chords 
vibrate;  in  falsetto  only  the  outermost  rim  (facial 
lining).  In  chest  tones  all  of  the  vocal  chords  vibrate; 
in  falsetto  tones  (or  female  head  voice)  only  a  small  part 
of  the  chords  vibrates. 

The  chest  tones  can  be  raised  five  notes  in  pitch  by  a 
continued  strong  breath  pressure,  but  the  voice  becomes 
hard  and  shrill. 

The  vocal  chords  are  greatly  influenced  by  the  thyro- 
arytaenoid  muscle.  As  its  fibres  grow  into  the  vocal 
chords,  it  must  enlarge  the  sounding  material.  The 


LESSON  XVII 


11 


vocal  chords  are  not  only  stretched  lengthwise,  but  also 
thickened  through  the  influence  of  this  muscle. 
.  The  epiglottis,  the  false  vocal  chords,  the  morgan- 
atic pockets,  the  palate  arches,  in  short,  everything 
above  the  vocal  chords,  are  not  necessary  for  either 
chest  or  falsetto  tones. 

If  the  vocal  chords  are  stretched  while  inhaling,  no 
musical  tone  is  possible. 

The  length  of  the  vocal  tube  has  nothing  to  do  with 
the  tone. 

When  the  epigFottis  is  lowered  upon  the  larynx,  the 
tone  becomes  dull,  muffled,  otherwise  the  epiglottis 
seems  not  to  exert  any  influence  on  the  tone. 

The  palate  arches  become  narrow  in  chest  tone  as 
well  as  in  falsetto.  (This  is  very  important  and  abso- 
lutely true.  E.  F.) 

The  sole  purpose  of  the  ventricle  is  to  permit  a  free 
vibration  of  the  vocal  chords. 

THE  COMPENSATION  OF  PHYSICAL  EFFORT 
IN  THE  VOICE 

By  compensation  of  physical  effort  we  understand 
the  change  of  condition  in  the  muscles  with  respect  to 
each  other  without  changing  the  power  or  quality  of  a 
tone.  If  a  string  of  a  certain  length  and  tension  gives  a 
certain  pitch,  then  a  similar  string,  shorter  than  the 
first  one,  can  also  give  the  same  pitch  only  by  increasing 
the  tension. - 

When  a  tone  in  the  human  larynx  is  desired  to  retain 
its  pitch  in  the  scale  and  yet  a  graduated  volume  from 
soft  to  loud  is  demanded,  there  must  be  compensations 
within  the  larynx  to  retain  the  same  pitch  for  the  loud 
as  well  as  the  soft  tones. 

Increased  breath  pressure  will  raise  the  pitch.  If  it 
is  desired  to  increase  the  volume  of  a  tone,  but  not  its 


12 


LESSON  XVII 


pitch,  then  the  tension  in  the  vocal  chords  must  be 
diminished,  as  long  as  the  breath  pressure  is  increased. 

In  this  Mueller  is  entirely  mistaken.  The  compen- 
sation takes  place  in  that  more  and  more  of  the  many 
muscles  which  in  reality  compose  the  vocal  chords  are 
drawn  into  the  breath  current,  as  the  volume,  but  not 
the  pitch  of  the  voice  is  increased.  We  have  thus  a 
larger  quantity  of  vocal  material.  The  large  quantity 
vibrates  slower  than  the  lesser  quantity  unless  the 
tension  is  correspondingly  increased.  Mueller  himself 
points  to  this  in  the  next  sentences. 
*  The  pitch  can  be  influenced,  when  the  sides  of  the 
vocal  chords  are  made  to  approach  each  other. 

The  tension  is  alone  sufficient  to  retain  the  higher 
chest  notes.  The  more  the  vocal  chords  are  tensed,  the 
easier  becomes  the  break  into  falsetto  (female  head 
voice). 

Every  vocalist  can  sing  the  same  tones  either  with 
free  or  forced  production.  Practice  will  give  him  the 
means  to  use  only  the  agreeable  voice. 

Harless  (1853)  proved  by  means  of  muscles  taken 
from  a  frog,  which  were  artificially  stimulated  to  con- 
traction, that  the  muscles  became  thicker  and  the  pitch 
lower,  in  spite  of  considerable  stretching. 

He  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  muscle  thyro- 
arytaenoideus  lowered  the  pitch,  because  it  made  the 
vocal  chords  thicker.  He  therefore  supports  my  con- 
tention, but  forgets  that,  as  the  vocal  chords  become 
thicker,  the  tone  becomes  louder. 

Ewald  (1902)  and  Nagel  (1908)  made  similar  experi- 
ments and  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  when  the  medial 
parts  of  the  vocal  chords  are  made  to  contract  more 
than  the  lateral  parts,  a  greater  variety  of  tones  can  be 
observed. 


LESSON  XVII 


13 


Dr.  Ernst  Barth  (1911)  in  "Physiology,  Pathology 
aind  Hygiene  of  the  Human  Voice,"  comes  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  muscles  which  constitute  the  vocal 
chords  are  the  most  complicated  and  wonderful  mecha- 
nism in  man.  While  the  same  degree  of  tension  will  give 
the  same  number  of  vibrations — provided  the  breath 
pressure  remains  the  same — yet  many  changes  in  the 
consistency  and  form  of  the  vocal  chords  will  give  many 
varieties  of  tone  and  effects. 

(J!agniard-Latour  (1837)  holds  that  the  chest  voice  is 
only  possible  when  the  lower  parts  of  the  vocal  chords 
vibrate  along  with  the  upper  parts.  When  the  upper 
parts  alone  vibrate,  the  voice  is  thin  or  falsetto. 

Malgaigne  (1831)  compares  the  false  vocal  chords 
(above  the  true  vocal  chords)  to  the  opening  in  a  cor- 
net. They  merely  give  free  space  for  the  vibrations  of 
the  true  vocal  chords.  Just  as  the  cornet  player's  lips 
vibrate  in  the  open  space  of  the  mouthpiece,  so  do  the 
vocal  chords  vibrate  in  the  free  space  of  the  false  vocal 
chords. 

It  has  often  been  assumed  that  the  air  tube  and  air 
pockets  are  resonating  chambers.  This  is  not  true. 

The  walls  which  surround  the  air  spaces  are  too  soft 
to  be  considered  resonators,  but  when  the  entire  larynx 
is  joined  together  as  in  singing,  and  especially  because 
the  larynx  is  then  held  firmly  fixed  against  the  spine, 
and  because  all  muscles  then  become  as  taut  as  the 
strings  of  a  violin ;  thus  the  air  spaces  are  surrounded  by 
a  solid  wall  which  is  now  capable  of  being  set  into  vibra- 
tion, together  with  other  parts  connected  with  the  vocal 
organ. 

THE  PHYSIOLOGICALLY  CORRECT  ATTACK 

By  vocal  attack  is  meant  the  movements  or  adjust- 
ments which  the  vocal  organ  makes  when  phonation 
takes  place. 


14  LESSON  XVII 

When  at  rest,  the  vocal  chords  are  separated,  so  that 
breath  passes  freely  and  soundlessly  between  them. 
The  space  between  the  vocal  chords  is  called  the 
glottis. 


Fig.  113 
Mr.  Leo  Dietrichstein. 


LESSON  XVII 


15 


If  the  glottis  is  only  gradually  closed,  the  voice  is 
breathy,  because  breath  escapes  with  voice. 

A  clear  attack  takes  place  only  when  the  glottis  is  in- 
stantaneously closed  so  that  there  is  left  only  a  small 
slit  between  the  chords. 

A  forced  attack  takes  place  when  the  vocal  chords 
are  tightly  closed  before  phonation;  the  effect  is  a  hard, 
explosive  and  harsh  voice. 

You  will  readily  perceive  that  many,  in  fact,  most  of 
the  scientists  had  some  very  clear  and  practical  ideas 
about  the  voice.  The  mistakes  made  by  them  and  by 
the  voice  teachers  up  to  the  present  time  arose  from  not 
drawing  the  inferences  properly  arising  out  of  their 
studies.  They  made  certain  statements  which,  if  they 
had  been  followed  up,  would  have  long  ago  solved  the 
question  of  voice  training  in  a  practical,  scientific  man- 
ner. But  the  scientist  was  not  a  voice  teacher  and  the 
voice  teacher  knew  nothing  of  science.  Each  claimed 
to  be  interested  in  the  same  subject,  but  they  never 
came  together.  Two  lines  running  parallel  to  each 
other  may  meet  in  infinity,  but  we  want  them  to  meet 
now!  In  my  method  they  do  meet! 

EXERCISES  TO  LESSON  XVII 
REVIEW  OF  THE  THREE  FORMS  OF 
ATTACK 

I  wish  that  all  of  my  students  could  have  heard  the 
actor,  Leo  Dietrichstein,  in  'The  Great  Lover."  Not 
so  much  on  account  of  his  really  superb  acting,  but  to 
enjoy  his  glorious  speaking  voice.  For  nearly  two  hours, 
he  held  his  audience  spellbound,  day  after  day,  here  in 
Chicago.  His  voice  throughout  the  entire  evening  was 
a  marvel  of  vocal  art;  every  syllable  and  sound  was  as 
distinct  as  the  diapason  pipes  of  a  most  perfect  organ. 


16 


LESSON  XVII 


Every  shade  of  human  emotion  was  given  with  exquisite 
lusciousness  and  freedom  from  all  restraint. 

Some  years  ago  I  heard  an  opera  company  playing 
''William  Tell."  The  acting  and  singing  of  that  com- 
pany was  beneath  contempt  with  one  exception.  The 
principal  tenor  of  that  company  had  a  wonderful  voice, 
equal  to  the  greatest  tenor  ever  heard.  All  of  the  other 
singers  were  poor,  and  entirely  incompetent,  but  he 
saved  the  day.  He  was  the  only  excuse  and  he  alone 
filled  the  house  every  night.  Now,  that  really  great 
vocalist  was  a  very  poor  actor.  In  addition  he  had 
crooked  legs,  only  one  eye,  and  he  was  otherwise  de- 
formed !  But  nobody  cared  for  that ;  his  voice  was  perfect ! 

In  both  of  these  cases,  the  "tongue  attack"  was  at 
its  utmost  perfection,  so  perfect  that,  unknown  to  them, 
unconsciously,  they  always  and  under  every  stress  of 
excitement  employed  only  the  tongue  attack.  As  the 
action  progressed  their  voices  became  even  better,  and 
I  am  sure  they  could  have  repeated  the  entire  perform- 
ance with  ease. 

This  is  what  the  tongue  attack  can  do  for  you! 

Many  of  you,  no  doubt,  heard  Mr.  Bryan.  Mr.  Bryan 
would  have  been  a  great  lyric  tenor  had  he  chosen  the 
musical  field.  At  his  best,  his  voice  is  silvery,  as  clear 
as  crystal.  But  as  he  continues,  his  voice  changes  to  a 
less  clear  and  higher  pitch.  His  voice  is  still  good,  but 
no  longer  silvery.  In  the  first  periods  he  employs  the 
tongue  attack,  then  apparently  either  through  excite- 
ment or  some  other  cause,  he  loses  control  of  the  tongue 
attack  and  employs  the  palate  attack.  Mr.  Bryan's 
tongue  attack  is  not  now  as  perfect  as  the  tongue  attack 
of  the  actor  and  tenor  just  mentioned,  and  because  of 
that  he  slips  up  and  hence  is  prompted  to  use  an  attack 
less  favorable. 


LESSON  XVII  17 


I  often  go  to  hear  a  clergyman  near  my  home.  He  is 
to  me  a  very  sympathetic  preacher,  earnest  and  sincere. 
When  he  starts  the  sermon,  his  voice  is  almost  as  good 
as  Mr.  Dietrichstein's,  but  when  he  lets  his  emotion  run 
away  with  his  head,  the  voice  becomes  lower  and  some- 
what hard,  still  clear,  but  no  longer  musical.  He  also 
loses  the  all-important  tongue  attack,  but  unlike  Mr. 
Bryan,  he  uses  the  glottis  attack. 

All  of  these  gentlemen  are  Americans.  At  their  best 
their  voices  equal  the  best  Italian  voices;  at  their  worst 
they  are  no  worse  than  those  of  any  other  nationality. 
So  neither  nationality  nor  climate  has  anything  to  do 
with  it. 

Whoever  has  the  tongue  attack,  also  and  invariably 
has  a  very  fine  voice.  To  make  sure  that  you  under- 
stand and  can  employ  the  different  vocal  attacks,  a 
general  review  is  now  given  you. 

THE  TONGUE  ATTACK 

Review  your  exercises  on  the  tongue;  that  is,  make 
the  groove  way  back  in  the  tongue. 

Test  the  larynx  by  placing  the  finger  against  the 
under  side  of  the  cricoid  bone,  the  lowest  bone  of  the 
larynx.  Now  make  the  groove  without  moving  the 
cricoid  bone  in  the  least,  either  up  or  down.  You  must 
master  this  silent  exercise  I 

Test  the  palate  and  while  you  make  the  groove  in  the 
tongue,  be  sure  that  the  palate  and  the  uvula  (the  part 
which  hangs  down  from  the  palate)  do  not  move  in  the 
least.  Also  observe  the  tip  of  the  tongue  while  you  make 
the  groove.  This  tip  must  remain  loose  and  it  should 
not  move. 

When  you  are  certain  of  these  conditions,  you  are 
ready  for  the  tongue  attack  and  even  if  your  attack 


18 


LESSON  XVII 


should  be  weak,  yet  you  will  have  a  good  voice  within  a 
limited  compass. 

Now  place  the  little  finger  under  one  side  of  the 
tongue  and  make  the  groove,  observing  carefully  all 
the  above  rules.  See  to  it  that  the  larynx  does  not  move; 
that  the  palate  does  not  move  and  that  the  tongue  tip 
remains  loose  while  and  as  often  as  you  make  the  groove. 

Now  count  "one."  Observe  whether  you  feel  a  slight 
pressure  or  tap  upon  the  finger  under  the  tongue,  when 
you  count.  This  ''beat,"  as  I  call  it,  should  instantly 
cease  when  you  pause,  to  become  again  perceptible  as 
you  count  ''two."  Count  up  to  thirty,  pausing  a  little 
before  each  count  to  observe  w^hether  you  get  the  beat. 

Change  your  voice,  sometimes  speak  a  little  higher 
than  usual,  sometimes  lower.  At  whatever  point  you 
get  a  distinct  beat,  that  is  your  best,  your  really  natural 
pitch  of  voice  for  public  speaking  or  singing. 

Read  the  following,  from  one  of  Lincoln's  speeches; 
observe  that  on  every  separate  syllable,  you  should  feel 
the  beat.  Read  at  first  very  slowly  and  loud,  as  if  you 
were  addressing  an  audience. 

"When  the  conduct  of  men  is  designed  to  be  in- 
fluenced, persuasion,  kind,  unassuming  persuasion, 
should  ever  be  adopted.  It  is  an  old  and  true  maxim 
"that  a  drop  of  honey  catches  more  flies  than  a  gallon  of 
gall."  So  with  men.  If  you  would  win  a  man  to  your 
cause,  first  convince  him  that  you  are  his  sincere  friend. 
Therein  is  a  drop  of  honey  that  catches  his  heart, 
which,  say  what  he  will,  is  the  great  highroad  to  reason, 
and  which,  w^hen  once  gained,  you  will  find  but  little 
'  trouble  in  convincing  his  judgment  of  the  justice  of 
your  cause,  if  indeed  that  cause  really  be  a  just  one. 
On  the  contrary,  assume  to  dictate  to  his  judgment,  or 
to  command  this  action,  or  to  mark  him  as  one  to  be 
shunned  and  despised,  and  he  will  retreat  within  him- 


LESSON  XVII 


19 


self,  close  all  the  avenues  to  his  head  and  heart;  and 
though  your  cause  be  naked  truth  itself,  transformed 
to  the  heaviest  lance,  harder  than  steel,  and  sharper 
than  steel  can  be  made,  and  though  you  throw  it  with 
more  than  herculean  force  and  precision,  you  shall  be 
no  more  able  to  pierce  him  than  to  penetrate  the  hard 
shell  of  a  tortoise  with  a  rye  straw." 

Do  not  now,  in  reading  or  speaking,  look  for  the 
groove,  but  expect  the  beat. 

Practice  daily,  speaking  with  little  finger  under  the 
tongue  for  many  months.  This  especially  to  those  with 
defective  voices.  Be  sure  to  speak  out  loudly,  frankly, 
as  if  you  were  calling  across  the  street, 

PALATE  ATTACK 

As  you  were  taught  in  the  lessons  on  palate  attack, 
whisper  "ah,"  then  ''a,"  then  ''ee;"  first  low,  then 
higher  and  at  last  very  high. 

Observe  gradually,  that  the  whisper  is  very  distinct 
and  clear  only  when  there  is  no  breath  escaping,  when 
there  is  no  breathy  admixture  together  with  the  whis- 
pered vowel  sound. 

When  you  have  succeeded,  you  will  notice  that  the 
whisper  seems  to  be  above  the  tongue,  under  the  nose, 
but  never  in  the  nose! 

When  the  sound  is  right,  your  throat  feels  free.  There 
is  no  tension  anywhere  except  a  slight  feeling  in  the 
palate,  back  of  the  upper  teeth. 

Now  do  not  think  of  the  tongue,  but  think  that  you 
feel  the  sound  in  the  front  part  of  the  palate,  a  little 
back  of  the  teeth,  as  you  say:  "ah,"  "a,"  "ee,"  "o," 
"oo;"  also  say:  "do,"  "re,"  "mi,"  "fa,"  "sol,"  "la," 
"ti,"  "do,"  as  no  doubt  you  have  learned  at  school. 

Observe  that  the  voice  is  not  as  strong  as  it  was  in 
the  tongue  attack,  but  that  it  is  just  as  clear.  A  little 
thinner,  but  just  as  penetrating. 


20 


LESSON  XVII 


Observe  also  that  the  pitch  of  your  voice  in  the 
palate  attack  is  (usually)  a  little  higher  than  it  was  in 
the  tongue  attack.  Remember  all  this  and  then  read 
loud,  first  very  slow,  later  faster! 

"You'd  scarce  expect  one  of  my  age 
To  speak  in  public  on  the  stage; 
And  if  I  chance  to  fall  below 
Demosthenes  or  Cicero, 
Don't  view  me  with  a  critic's  eye, 
But  pass  my  imperfections  by." 

— Everett 

Select  something  else,  a  newspaper,  the  market  re- 
ports or  sports,  anything  in  fact  that  interests  you. 
Try  both  the  tongue  and  the  palate  attack.  The  palate 
attack  is  well  suited  to  most  women's  voices  and  to  all 
men  whose  voice  is  naturally  light  and  perhaps  weak. 
It  is  a  very  good  attack  for  smaller  audiences,  for 
churches,  schools,  for  the  salesroom  and  even  for  the 
smaller  theatres. 

This  attack  is  especially  well  suited  to  soprano  singers. 
To  them  it  is  the  solution  of  the  so-called  head  voice, 
which  is  so  easy  to  acquire  and  yet,  which  many  have 
failed  to  acquire  in  years  of  study,  because  their  teachers 
did  not  know  the  principles  of  this  attack.  Nearly  all 
singers  can  get  the  tongue  attack  for  the  middle  voice,  as 
far  as  'T"  on  the  fifth  line.  Now  they  can  employ  the 
palate  attack  for  the  notes  above  the  fifth  line,  and  with 
a  little  practice,  they  will  acquire  almost  any  desired 
or  needed  height. 

That  the  palate  attack  is  a  very  practical  and  useful 
art,  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  the  three  English  girls, 
the  "Misses  Fuller,"  have  been  singing  for  years  in  our 
largest  cities  with  considerable  success.  They  use  the 
palate  attack,  or  half  voice,  entirely,  and  the  effects 
they  produce  with  the  old  English  folk  songs  are  quite 


LESSON  XVII 


21 


pleasing.  They  of  course  are  not  ''stars,"  but  they  have 
attracted  quite  a  following. 

I  will  give  further  instructions  for  this  attack  in  the 
songs  which  will  follow  in  other  lessons. 

THE  GLOTTIS  ATTACK 

This  attack  is  best  suited  to  male  voices,  especially 
to  rather  deep  voices.  Of  itself  it  has  a  tendency  to 
make  the  voice  low.  Some  teachers  compel  their  stu- 
dents to  depress  the  larynx,  to  force  it  down,  and  in 
this  wise  they  obtain  a  low  voice.  Forcing  the  larynx 
is  always  dangerous.  To  be  sure  there  are  quick  results 
from  forcing,  but  in  the  end  it  spells  ruin  to  the  voice. 
It  is  not  necessary  to  force  the  larynx  at  any  time  to  get 
low  tones  or  to  make  the  voice  strong.  The  glottis 
attack  will  show  you  how  to  get  a  strong  voice. 

As  taught  in  the  lesson  on  glottis  attack,  cough  very 
easily,  slightly,  as  if  clearing  the  throat.  Imitate  the 
buzzing  of  a  bumble  bee  or  a  sawmill  or  the  purring  of 
a  cat  or  the  growling  of  a  puppy  dog.  Observe  that  way 
down  in  the  throat  you  feel  two  soft  pads  of  flesh;  these 
are  the  vocal  chords.  Repeat  the  buzzing  and  purring 
and  notice  a  very  loose,  almost  agreeable  sensation  of 
the  vibration  in  your  throat. 

After  you  have  been  sure  of  this  sensation,  after  you 
can  localize  it,  again  buzz  or  purr  and  without  stopping 
let  the  purring  or  buzzing  change  to  the  sounds  of  "ah," 
"a,"  "ee,"  "o,"  "oo,"  but  draw  them  together.  Do  not 
stop  between  the  syllables,  as  in  the  other  attack.  Make 
any  continuous  sound  you  please  and  prolong  it  as  much 
as  possible. 

Repeat  the  buzzing  and  keep  up  the  vibration  in  the 
throat  while  with  your  lips  you  articulate  "eeny,  meeny, 
miny,  moh,"  etc.,  or  some  other  nonsense  verse  that 
you  know. 


22 


LESSON  XVII 


Learn  from  this  that  the  sound  is  made  with  the 
vocal  chords,  but  that  the  articulating  of  sound  into 
words  or  sentences  is  done  mostly  by  the  lips. 

Now,  again  start  the  buzzing  and  slowly  repeat  these 
lines: 

"As  the  moths  around  a  taper, 

As  the  bees  around  a  rose. 
As  the  gnats  around  a  vapour, 

So  the  spirits  group  and  close 
Round  about  a  holy  childhood, 

As  if  drinking  its  repose. 

— Browning 

Merely  determine  to  keep  on  buzzing,  but  articulate 
one  line  in  a  continuous  sound,  then  stop  and  repeat 
the  next  line  and  so  on.  Do  this  at  first  very  slowly, 
then  a  little  faster,  up  to  the  natural  speed  and  as  you 
increase  the  speed  of  the  words,  also  let  your  articu- 
lation become  sharper,  more  distinct.  You  will,  in  this 
way,  obtain  strong,  low  speech  or  song,  without  effort 
and  without  straining. 

This  is  very  effective  anywhere,  especially  for  serious, 
earnest  discourse,  in  church  or  in  court,  in  concert  or 
theatre.  It  is  not  well  adapted  for  jesting  or  for  light 
kinds  of  delivery.  It  should  be  reserved  as  a  rule  for 
slow,  emphatic  speech. 

Try  this  out  by  reading  aloud  some  serious  article 
in  a  magazine.  It  is  not  advisable  to  use  this  form  of 
attack  continuously,  because  it  is  liable  to  become 
monotonous.  Changes  should  be  made  to  the  tongue 
attack  or  to  the  palate  attack. 

Now  again  test  these  three  forms  of  attack  by  using 
alternately  the  tongue,  palate  and  glottis  attack  for  the 
following  lines: 

"Speak  the  speech,  I  pray  you,  as  I  pronounced  it 
to  you,  trippingly  on  the  tongue;  but  if  you  mouth  it, 


LESSON  XVII  23 

as  so  many  of  your  players  do,  I  had  as  lief  the  town- 
crier  spoke  my  lines.  No,  do  not  saw  the  air  too  much 
with  your  hands,  thus;  but  use  all  gently;  for  in  the 
torrent,  tempest  (and  as  I  may  say),  the  whirlwind 
of  passion,  you  must  acquire  and  beget  a  temperance 
that  may  give  it  smoothness."  (Hamlet,  Shakespeare.) 

After  you  have  read  this  with  the  three  different 
attacks,  then  speak  one  sentence  with  the  tongue,  the 
next  with  the  palate,  and  the  third  with  the  glottis 
attack. 

Learn  to  use  all  three  attacks  and  employ  them  as 
needed  for  public  speaking  and  singing. 

Those  with  speech  defects  should  obtain  very  valu- 
able results  from  this  study,  though  a  special  lesson  for 
stammerers  will  come  shortly. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XVII 

(1)  Has  the  voice  of  orators  had  any  great  influence 
in  the  history  of  the  world? 

(2)  Can  you  name  some  orators  who  have  shaped 
the  course  of  the  American  nation? 

(3)  When  is  a  voice  breathy? 

(4)  When  is  the  attack  clear? 

(5)  When  is  the  attack  forced? 

(6)  Are  you  now  absolutely  certain  that  you  make 
the  groove  without  motions  of  either  the  larynx  or 
palate? 

(7)  Can  you  now  whisper  distinctly  and  without 
any  breathy  sound? 

(8)  Do  you  feel  the  whisper  in  the  palate? 

(9)  Can  you  now  differentiate  between  the  tongue 
attack,  the  glottis  attack  and  the  palate  attack? 

(10)  Which  attack  is  easiest  for  you? 


LESSON  XVIII 

HISTORY  OF  VOICE  METHODS— (Concluded) 

GENERAL  SURVEY 


The  first  record  which  has  come  down  to  us  from 
the  ancients  in  regard  to  voice  training  is  the  record 
of  the  greatest  of  all  Grecian  orators,  Demosthenes. 
His  father  was  a  blacksmith  and  left  him  an  orphan 
at  the  age  of  seven.    Ambition  prompted  him  to  the 


Fig.  114 

Elysium.   Orpheus  and  Eurydice — C.  W.  v.  Gluck. 


study  of  oratory.  His  voice  was  harsh  and  uncouth. 
He  stammered  and  enunciated  badly.  His  whole 
person  was  awkward.  He  hit  upon  the  device  of 
placing  pebbles  under  his  tongue  and  forcing  himself 
to  speak  with  this  obstacle  in  his  mouth. 

Of  the  orator,  Pericles,  we  know  that  he  always 

1 


®  Printed  in  Chicago,  111.,  U.  S.  A 


2 


LESSON  XVIII 


addressed  a  prayer  to  the  gods  before  speaking  in 
public. 

Up  to  the  fifth  century  B.  C,  orators  were  also 
musicians.  Voice  training  must  have  been  closely 
associated  with  chanting. 

The  Roman  emperor,  Nero,  was  very  vain  of  his 
voice.  He  took  great  care  to  avoid  colds  and  is  said 
to  have  placed  a  plate  of  lead  against  his  stomach  to 
help  the  voice.    He  also  took  special  diet  and  baths. 

No  records  of  any  special  voice  training  have  come 
down  to  us  from  the  singing  schools  of  ancient  Rome 
or  from  those  established  by  Charlemagne.  We  know, 
however,  that  they  paid  much  attention  to  distinct 
articulation.  They  also  saw  to  it  that  the  body  was 
held  erect,  the  mouth  in  a  natural  shape  and  that  the 
face  was  not  distorted. 

The  first  written  method  for  the  developing  of  voice 
and  for  the  preserving  of  voice  and  health  is  contained 
in  a  book  written  by  a  singer  and  physician,  Giovanni 
Camillo  Maffei  of  Naples,  Italy,  in  1562. 

It  was  a  method  written  for  those  who  wished  to 
develop  a  voice  "without  a  teacher" — senza  maestro 
— as  the  title  has  it.    The  subjects  taught  are  these: 

I   The  Theory  of  Voice  and  Singing 

a.  The  kind  and  purpose  of  the  voice 

b.  Anatomy  of  the  vocal  apparatus. 

c.  How  voice  originates. 

d.  The  character  of  the  voice  and  its  cause. 

II  Practical  Exercises,  Especially  of  Coloratura 

(florid  singing). 

a.  The  kind  of  coloratura  singing. 

b.  Ten  rules  as  to  how  one  should  practice 
singing. 

c.  First  exercise  in  coloratura. 


LESSON  XVIII 


3 


d.  Cadences  in  coloratura. 

e.  The  melody  embellished  with  coloratura. 

f.  Rules  and  medical  prescription  to  preserve 
the  voice. 

Conrad  von  Zabern,  (Alsace)  1474,  wrote  exclu- 
sively for  teachers  of  voice  and  for  the  clergymen  of 
his  time.  He  was  himself  a  priest  and  musician;  later, 
Professor  of  Theology  at  Heidelberg.  He  also  wrote 
for  those  who  could  not  study  with  a  teacher. 

Gio-Andrea  Bontempi,  1695,  was  one  of  the  pupils 
of  the  school  at  Rome.  He  says  the  methods  there 
used  were  "imitation,"  to  copy  the  teacher  as  closely 
as  possible. 

Domenico  Pietro  Cerone,  1613,  says:  'The  teacher 
should  not  believe  that  rules  and  advice  are  sufficient 
for  the  development  of  his  students;  they  want  to  see 
perfect  work.  Beginners  do  not  observe  so  much 
what  is  told  them,  but  what  they  hear  and  see." 

Mersenne,  1637,  says:  "Many  voice  teachers  have 
no  voice  to  execute  a  song  with  beauty,  nor  can  they 
embellish  a  song  and  many  do  not  even  articulate 
distinctly." 

Blasius  Rossettus,  1529,  wants  the  teacher  to  begin 
with  easy  exercises  and  only  gradually  increase  the 
difficulties.  Ear  training  is  needed.  The  teacher 
should  sing  a  tone;  the  students  imitate  that  and 
other  tones  on  the  syllable  "La."  The  teacher  then 
tells  them  wherein  they  have  imitated  correctly  or 
incorrectly. 

They  are  especially  strict  in  demanding  much  and 
attentive  practice.  Exercises  must  be  repeated  very 
often.  The  more  one  practices  the  better  becomes 
the  voice.  Daily  you  can  hear  that  the  church  bells 
increase  in  sweetness  and  power  of  tone,  though  used. 


4 


LESSON  XVIII 


Zacconi,  1592,  gives  the  advice  to  sing  often  for 
friends  and  ask  them  if  they  enjoy  the  singing.  Also 
you  must  train  your  own  ear  and  judgment.  What  is 
the  difference  between  the  barking  of  a  dog  and  the 
singing  of  one  who  cannot  hear  how  and  what  he 
sings?  A  good  singer  sings  more  with  his  ear  than 
with  his  mouth. 

THE  INTELLECTUAL  DEMANDS  ON  THE 

SINGER 

Bontempi,  1695.  The  voice  students  in  the  17th 
century  received  more  than  a  general  education.  The 
curriculum  at  the  Roman  schools  was:  One  hour 
daily  in  the  morning  and  afternoon  in  literature.  Half 
an  hour,  theory  of  sound,  voice,  physiology.  Singing, 
the  study  of  counterpoint  and  instrumental  music 
completed  a  rather  long  day's  study. 

They  had  to  memorize  to  strengthen  the  memory. 

One  should  sing  without  hesitation  and  fear.  Sing- 
ing should  be  full  of  life  and  feeling. 

Many  of  the  singers  at  that  time  were  of  noble 
birth;  also  it  must  be  said  their  morality  was  nothing 
to  brag  about. 

Maffei,  already  mentioned,  thinks  it  more  impor- 
tant to  learn  how  to  make  the  voice  beautiful  than  to 
know  the  theory  of  music.  He  demands  a  knowledge 
of  voice  physiology.  The  singer  must  be  able  to  sing 
loud  and  soft,  high  and  low,  sweetly  and  flexibly.  He 
must  enunciate  the  words  distinctly.  He  must  be  able 
to  hold  his  tones  and  never  break  into  falsetto  (head 
voice) . 

ABOUT  THE  ORIGIN  OF  VOICE 

The  old  masters  did  not  deny  the  possibility  of 
developing  the  voice;  on  the  contrary,  they  believed 


LESSON  XVIII 


5 


even  in  self  development.  But  in  the  main  they  expect 
nature  to  furnish  the  voice  and  the  master  to  teach 
the  use  of  it. 

Both  the  teachers  Banchieri  and  Doni  (1640)  say. 
The  beautiful  voice  is  a  gift  of  nature  or  God.  A 
singer  should  have  a  peculiarly  sweet,  vibrating  voice, 


Fig.  115 

Scene  from  "Don  Juan" — Mozart. 


a  sound  throat  and  larynx  by  the  grace  of  God.  Some 
advise  that  a  teacher  should  not  accept  a  student  who 
is  not  thus  gifted. 

However,  all  of  them  supported  the  view  that  any 
voice  can  be  made  better,  and  that  all  voices  can  be 
improved.  They  believed  that  voices  can  be  made 
better  through  singing  of  exercises.   Mersenne,  one  of 


6 


LESSON  XVIII 


the  best  known  teachers,  even  said  that  a  voice  can 
be  improved  in  many  ways;  that  nature  has  produced 
very  few  perfect  voices.  To  develop  the  voice,  the 
student  must  learn  to  modulate  and  use  his  voice  in 
an  elegant  style.  He  must  learn  not  to  open  the  mouth 
very  far. 

They  acknowledge,  however,  that  they  had  never 
succeeded  in  developing  a  voice  to  the  utmost.  At 
best  their  methods  could  only  refine  and  make  useful 
whatever  voice  the  student  had  by  nature.  Defective 
voices,  they  said,  are  very  hard  to  cure. 

In  1640,  Doni  claims  that  the  art  of  voice  teaching, 
such  as  the  ancients  knew,  was  lost.  He  advised  that 
the  singer  should  refrain  from  eating  injurious  food. 
The  ancients,  he  says,  had  special  hygienic  rules  for 
orators.  They  hardened  the  throat  with  special  drinks. 
The  actors  used  a  mask  with  a  special  mouthpiece  to 
concentrate  the  sound,  like  a  speaking  tube.  A  bass 
singer  in  France,  used  a  speaking  tube  when  he  sang. 
Tubes  made  of  copper  and  terra-cotta  and  tuned  to 
the  different  degrees  of  the  scale  were  placed  under  the 
seats  in  concert  halls  and  opera  houses.  These  tubes 
reinforced  the  singers'  voices.  The  singer  is  reminded 
of  Roman  rhetoric,  especially  that  of  Cicero  and 
Quintilian,  who  placed  much  emphasis  on  phonetics. 

The  principle  of  starting  a  tone  softly  and  by  de- 
grees swelling  it  to  great  strength  was  much  used. 
Also  the  voice  should  never  start  very  low  or  very  high, 
but  in  the  middle  range.  Cicero  said  that  every  voice 
has  some  individual  middletone;  that  is  the  tone  to 
start  with,  and  by  slow  degrees  the  voice  must  be 
developed  from  that  tone. 


LESSON  XVIII 


7 


^  VOCAL  HYGIENE 

The  old  masters  said  truthfully  that  in  a  sick  body 
there  could  not  be  a  healthy  voice.  Loss  of  sleep,  ex- 
haustion, overwork,  etc.,  weakens  the  functions  of  the 
body  and  the  breath,  and  causes  weakness  of  voice. 
Self-indulgence  in  eating,  drinking,  etc.,  causes  the 
voice  to  break  down. 


Fig.  116 

Scene  from  "The  African" — Meyerbeer. 


Anything  that  helps  the  body  will  also  help  the 
voice,  hence  shower  baths  and  walking  are  advised. 

One  should  practice  physical  exercise  four  or  five 
hours  after  eating.  One  should  not  eat  too  much,  but 
also  not  too  little.  Choose  easily  digested  food.  Nuts 
of  all  kinds  are  almost  prohibited.  Sopranos,  falsetto 
singers,  and  contraltos  are  advised  to  drink  wine  only 
mixed  with  water.  Tenors  and  basses  should  use  only 
little  water  with  wine.    Only  in  the  winter  should 


8 


LESSON  XVIII 


singers  drink  wine  without  water,  as  it  then  warms  the 
stomach  and  clears  the  chest,  so  that  the  voice  may  be 
strong. 

Maffei,  the  physician-singer,  gives  the  following 
prescriptions  as  a  sane  means  to  develop  the  voice, 
especially  when  the  voice  is  dried  out  on  account  of 
much  throat  clearing: 

Take  four  dried  figs,  remove  the  skins,  add  ^ 
ounce  of  mint,  Yi  gum  arabic,  pulverize  them  and 
form  them  into  pills.  Hold  a  pill  in  the  mouth  all 
night  and  another  through  the  day.  Or,  take  incense, 
rosin  and  mint;  spread  it  on  hot  coals  and  inhale  the 
fumes  through  nose  and  mouth. 

Cerone  says  that  the  following  will  cure  hoarse- 
ness: 

Dissolve  myrrh  under  the  tongue,  or  eat  raw 
garlic,  or  dissolve  benzoic  in  water  and  drink  it. 
Arsenium  rubeum  mixed  with  honey  will  clear  the 
voice.  If  you  chew  cabbage  and  swallow  the  juice,  the 
lost  voice  will  be  restored.  Vinegar,  if  drunk  before 
breakfast,  will  make  a  voice  robust  and  clear. 

Much  attention  was  paid  to  the  position  of  the  body. 
It  was  realized  that  one  sings  better  when  standing 
upright  than  sitting,  also  that  bending  the  head  or 
leaning  to  one  side  interferes  with  the  voice.  One  should 
sing  with  the  voice  but  not  with  the  movements  of  the 
body.  Only  the  ''glottis"  should  move.  The  body  must 
be  like  a  column.  It  is  forbidden  to  move  hands  or 
feet.  Some  singers  look  like  geese.  They  stretch  their 
necks  to  reach  high  notes.  The  eyes,  too,  should  remain 
quiet  and  not  roll  around  as  do  those  of  crazy  people. 
A  mirror  was  used  to  watch  that  the  face  remains 
natural  and  not  distorted. 


LESSON  XVIII 


9 


POOR  VOICES 

As  the  purpose  of  the  voice  and  speech  is  to  com- 
municate thought  and  to  entertain,  so  the  voice  must 
be  free  from  faults.  A  voice  that  offends  the  ear,  that  is 
coarse  or  harsh,  or  that  stammers,  is  not  to  be  toler- 
ated. Such  voices  must  be  changed  to  sweet,  clear  and 
sympathetic  voices.  The  cause  of  these  faults  is  found 
in  the  incorrect  function  of  the  vocal  organ.  To  speak 
through  the  nose,  or  through  the  teeth;  to  rasp  or  to 
speak  gutturally,  is  a  sign  of  incorrect  use  of  the 
vocal  organs.  The  teacher  Doni  says  that  such  voices 
should  be  employed  only  in  scenes  where  the  spirits 
of  Hell  are  made  to  appear. 

GOOD  VOICES 

The  good  voices  according  to  the  old  masters  are 
those  that  can  sing  the  "cantus  suavis" — those  with 
suave  voices,  that  delight,  elevate  and  can  sing  rapid 
passages.  A  voice  must  be  sweet  and  lovely,  even  like 
a  girl's  voice.  The  French  teacher,  Mersenne,  praises 
his  countrymen  for  their  sweet  voices.  No  other 
people,  says  he,  sing  so  sweetly  or  execute  the  passages 
so  tastefully  as  the  French.  The  Italians  are  more 
careful  in  delivery.  They  interpret  more  passionately, 
while  the  French  are  satisfied  to  please  the  ear  to  the 
exclusion  of  energy.  The  tone  of  the  voice  should  be 
made  to  correspond  with  the  song,  sadness,  joy,  rage, 
peace,  repose  or  energy  must  be  felt  in  the  tone.  But 
an  actor  should  not  change  voice  and  gesture  on  every 
word.  When  he  speaks  of  Heaven  he  need  not  raise  his 
eyes  upward,  or  when  he  speaks  of  death,  he  should  not 
tremble  or  shed  tears. 


10 


LESSON  XVIII 


THE  ATTACK 

Many  and  diverse  opinions  were  current  among  the 
old  masters  on  this  all-important  subject.  Mersenne 
speaks  of  a  hollow  cavity  in  the  chest,  near  the  heart 
and  the  diaphragm,  which  causes  an  echo  of  the  voice. 
If  there  was  no  palate  and  the  voice  came  only  from 
the  glottis,  the  voice  would  be  inferior  and  weak. 
Thus  these  old  masters  contradict  each  other. 


Fig.  117 

Scene  from  "Carmen" — G.  Bizet. 


Rossettus  considered  the  palate  and  lips  to  be  the 
most  essential  factors.  The  breath  which  comes  from 
the  lungs  passes  the  larynx  and  breaks  at  the  palate. 
Tongue  and  teeth  form  the  speech  and  the  lips  control 
the  breath  current. 

Maffei  says:  The  voice  is  resonated  from  the 
palate  after  the  breath  is  made  to  vibrate  in  the  glottis. 

Fabricius,   another  voice  teacher,   mentions  the 


LESSON  XVIII 


11 


cavity  of  the  nose:  The  air  in  the  pharynx  is  changed 
to  sound,  then  it  strikes  the  palate  and  from  there 
the  cavities  of  the  nose. 

The  hps  and  the  tongue  were  recognized  as  prin- 
cipal parts  of  vocal  attack  but  the  directions  of  how 
to  use  them  are  very  vague  and  uncertain.  Cerone 
mocks  the  singers  who  open  the  mouth  as  wide  as  a 
"stovepipe."  Ragnoni  says  those  singers  who  open 
their  mouths  so  wide  merely  wanted  to  show  their 
pretty  teeth. 

Rossettus  says :  No  one  can  sing  with  a  wide  open 
mouth  or  with  a  yawning  throat.  Many  a  good  singer 
is  spoiled  because  pupils  are  taught  to  open  the  throat 
wide.  One  should  not  imitate  wild  animals  which 
open  their  mouths  wide  when  they  roar. 

Some  teachers  even  say:  Open  the  mouth  little 
and  do  not  move  the  lips.  Some  make  faces  and  roll 
their  eyes  as  if  they  would  dissolve  in  tender  feelings. 
This  is  not  to  be  allowed.  The  attack  was  considered 
of  just  as  much  importance  to  the  voice  as  the  attack 
of  the  players  on  a  flute  or  cornet.  To  obtain  this  de- 
sired attack  they  knew  no  method,  except  everlasting 
practice  and  the  desire  for  a  good  tone,  chiefly  by 
imitating  good  singers. 

Coclieus  attempts  a  more  definite  description  of  the 
attack  by  his  advice  not  to  move  the  tongue;  raising 
the  back  of  the  tongue  is  entirely  wrong,  says  he, 

In  the  school  at  Halberstadt  in  1602,  the  students 
were  taught  to  "hum"  with  closed  mouth.  This  fool- 
ish method  is  followed  by  many  modern  teachers  and 
claimed  by  them  as  a  recent  invention. 

The  best  advice  given  them  was  to  go  to  a  good 
teacher  and  imitate  him  by  constant  practice.  Nothing 


12 


LESSON  XVIII 


is  so  hard  to  unlearn  as  acquired  bad  habits,  so  it  is 
wise  to  select  only  the  best  teacher. 

Jacconi  says:  One  can  develop  a  voice  by  singing- 
very  softly.  He  refers  especially  to  the  noblemen  who 
learn  to  sing  for  their  entertainments,  to  sing  for  friends 
and  not  for  the  public  for  pay.  It  is  better  to  sing  softly 
correctly  than  to  sing  loud  and  out  of  tune  or  with 
a  harsh  voice. 

THE  BREATH 

The  old  masters  paid  much  attention  to  breathing, 
but  they  were  not  at  all  agreed  as  to  the  method. 
One  should  take  breath  during  rests,  with  ease  and 
noiselessly. 

Bovicelli  says:  Many  singers  are  more  remarkable 
for  their  breath  than  for  their  voice.  It  is  not  correct 
to  take  breath  with  each  tone,  like  horses  which  shy 
at  every  shadow. 

Rossettus  and  Cerone  advise  taking  only  moderate 
breath,  thus  opposing  our  modern  athletic  breath 
artists ! 

A  quiet  prolonged  breath  is  advised  for  a  sustain- 
ing tone.  Much  practicing  of  breathing  is  not  advised 
by  the  old  masters. 

THE  ART  OF  SINGING 
By  Giambattista  Mancini 

This  justly  celebrated  teacher  published  his  method 
in  Vienna,  where  he  was  court  teacher  in  1774. 

Concerning  the  voice  in  general,  he  says:  ''Nature 
in  her  generosity  of  giving  away  her  gifts  never  puts 
them,  save  in  rare  exceptions,  all  in  one  person.  The 
truth  is  that  we  find  sometimes  voices  which  are  very 
strong,  others  are  flexible  and  sweet,  then  some  voices 


LESSON  XVIII 


13 


have  a  wide  range,  others  have  a  small  range.  The 
voice  ordinarily  is  divided  into  two  registers,  one 
called  the  chest  register  and  the  other  head  register, 
or  falsetto.  Sometimes  a  voice  has  been  found  to 
possess  the  singular  gift  of  singing  all  its  notes  in  the 
chest  register.  (This  is  the  voice  of  the  great  artists  and 
the  one  which  my  method  enables  you  to  attain.  E.  F.) 
The  chest  register  is  sonorous  and  strong  and  without 
effort;  but  if  a  man  sings  up  beyond  ''E"  fourth  space 
when  the  organs  are  not  suitable,  he  will  sing  with 
much  effort,  feeling  fatigue  in  the  throat,  and  conse- 
quently the  tone  will  be  feeble.  The  great  art  of  the 
singer  consists  in  acquiring  the  ability  to  render  im- 
perceptible to  the  ear,  the  passing  from  one  register  to 
the  other.  (How  this  is  done  I  have  shown  you  in  the 
lessons  of  the  attack;  tongue  for  all  medium  tones  up 
to  "E"  or  "F,"  glottis  for  very  low  tones  and  palate 
for  all  tones  above  "E"  or  *T.") 

It  is  very  important  to  know  how  to  open  the 
mouth.  Do  not  open  it  too  wide  or  the  voice  will  be 
throaty,  because  the  ''fauces"  (palate  arches)  will  then 
be  strained.  On  the  contrary,  if  you  do  not  open  the 
mouth  enough,  your  voice  will  be  dead,  or  you  will 
sing  through  the  nose,  or  you  cannot  enunciate  clearly. 

The  reasons  are:  The  tongue  is  not  in  a  natural 
position  and  the  voice  strikes  against  the  palate  and 
is  thrown  back  into  the  throat. 

I  tell  my  pupils,  ''Boy,  look — raise  your  head — 
don't  lean  it  on  the  chest — no — not  in  the  back  either 
— there,  that's  right."  "Straight  and  natural."  Every 
pupil  must  shape  his  mouth  for  singing  just  as  he 
shapes  it  when  he  smiles.  The  upper  teeth  show  a 
little,  and  are  slightly  separated  from  the  low  ones. 

,  What  is  commonly  called  "throaty  singing"  occurs 


14 


LESSON  XVIII 


because  the  singer  does  not  draw  or  sustain  the  voice 
by  the  natural  strength  of  the  chest,  but  tightens  the 
fauces.  The  "fauces"  are  a  part  of  the  voice. 

Mancini  practically  claims  that  only  Italians  and 
only  those  who  come  from  Tuscany  can  learn  to  sing. 
The  French  language  is  not  so  suitable  for  singing,  he 
says. 

Nicola  Antonio  Porpora,  1686  to  1767,  has  been 
considered  one  of  the  greatest  voice  teachers.  What 
he  has  left  us  are  mainly  exercises  for  flexibility. 

Rossini,  1792  to  1868,  one  of  the  greatest  tenor 
singers  and  a  most  successful  and  pleasing  composer, 
wrote  a  method  for  singers,  but  beyond  very  general 
advice,  he  has  nothing  of  any  special  benefit  to  the 
inquiring  voice  student. 

Francesco  Lamperti,  a  modern  voice  teacher,  claims 
three  registers,  chest,  mixed  and  in  women's  voices 
also  a  head  register.  Tongue  vshould  remain  extended 
and  the  throat  easy  and  open.  Respiration  is  made 
much  of;  it  should  be  from  the  chest  and  diaphragm. 
Unfortunately  he  recognized  two  qualities  of  voice,  the 
open  and  the  closed. 

Tone  should  be  formed  in  the  bottom  of  the  throat, 
the  note  should  be  attacked  with  great  clearness  and 
with  full  voice.  He  especially  warns  against  sliding 
up  to  a  note  and  says  the  tone  should  be  produced  with 
a  shock  of  the  glottis.  He  has  done  much  mischief  by 
claiming  two  qualities  of  voice,  one  open,  the  other 
closed.  When  you  have  a  beautiful  voice,  would  you 
"cover"  it?  The  fact  that  he  uses  the  term  "cover" 
shows  plainly  that  he  tried  to  hide  a  poor  voice  by  an 
artificial  device,  which  did  not  correct  the  defect,  but 
made  it  worse.    That  he  advised  the  shock  of  the 


LESSON  XVIII 


15 


glottis,  shows  that  he  knew  nothing  of  anatomy.  He 
is  responsible  for  many  mistakes  of  the  present  day 

Manuel  Garcia,  the  inventor  of  the  laryngoscope, 
is  the  first  of  the  great  teachers  who  advised  the  study 
of  anatomy,  at  least  by  the  voice  teacher.  He  was 
the  first  teacher  who  could  show  a  student  how  to 
overcome  a  breathy  and  husky  voice.  He  divides  the 
voice  into  three  registers,  chest,  medium  and  head. 
He  also  makes  the  mistake  of  classifying  the  quality 
into  open  and  closed.  For  the  open  quality  the  soft 
palate  must  be  low;  for  closed  quality  the  palate  is 
high.  Neither  of  these  positions  of  the  palate  is  cor- 
rect, nor  is  there  in  the  real  artistic  voice  either  an 
open  or  closed  tone. 

To  show  you  by  what  means  he  claimed  to  bring 
about  a  change  in  the  quality  of  voice,  I  hereby  give 
you  his  system.  It  consists  merely  of  articulation, 
going  from  a  normal  vowel  into  a  foreign  or  abnor- 
mal vowel  to  make  it  closed. 

From  the  (open)  vowel  ''A=ah"  go  to  (closed) 
vowel  O. 

From  the  (open)  vowel  "E=a"  go  to  (closed) 
vowel  eu  (in  French). 

From  the  (open)  vowel  ''I=ee"  go  to  (closed) 
vowel  u  (in  French). 

From  the  (open)  vowel  ''0=oh"  go  to  (closed) 
vowel  u  (in  Italian). 

None  of  the  old  masters  ever  recognized  a  change 
in  quality.  On  the  contrary,  they  held  that  if  there  is 
a  change  in  the  quality  of  the  tone  your  voice  is  defec- 
tive, and  that  the  right  sort  of  teaching  must  give  you 
the  ability  to  sing  with  an  unchanged,  even  quality  of 
tone.  Besides  this,  any  change  in  vocalization  does 
not  change  the  voice,  it  merely  changes  the  vowels, 


16 


LESSON  XVIII 


and  who  would  want  to  sing  an  English  song  with  a 
French  or  ItaHan  pronunciation? 

Garcia  also  advised  thorax  or  chest  breathing. 

In  Germany,  by  Ferd.  Sieber  and  others,  the  power 
of  "Will"  was  considered  the  most  important  feature. 
Will  must  induce  the  muscles  of  the  larynx  to  tighten 


Fig.  118 

Scene  from  "The  Mikado" — Sir  A.  Sullivan. 


the  chords  more  for  high  tones,  less  for  low  tones. 
The  tone  should  pass  over  a  flat  tongue  to  the  hard 
palate,  where  the  tone  is  reflected  and  escapes  the 
open  mouth  with  increased  force.  They  recognize  two 
registers,  chest  and  head.  Will  ppwer  would  be  all 
right  to  a  certain  extent  if  you  knew  exactly  where 
to  apply  it;  not  knowing  that,  you  will  apply  it  at 
the  point  of  least  resistance,  which  is  the  jaw. 

Delle  Sedie,  in  France,  and  his  followers,  make  the 
most  of  breathing  and  articulation.    They  also  prac- 


LESSON  XVIII 


17 


tice  with  closed  mouth  to  start  a  tone,  which,  as  we 
have  seen,  is  not  new,  as  they  claim,  but  was  known 
200  years  ago  and  condemned  by  all  the  old  masters. 

What  I  have  wTitten  for  you  here  has  been  gathered 
in  the  four  corners  of  the  earth  and  covers  practically 
all  that  has  ever  been  said  or  written  about  voice 
training,  from  the  earliest  time  to  the  present. 

If  we  define  ''Method"  as  a  systematic,  orderly 
rule  or  arrangement  of  a  thing  to  be  done,  then  it 
must  be  apparent  to  you,  that  until  now  we  never 
had  a  method,  but  that  some  teachers  practiced  cer- 
tain devices  which  in  their  "opinion"  or  experience 
helped  some  students.  Another  teacher  held  just  the 
opposite  opinion.  Their  experience  taught  them,  as 
they  believed,  that  exercises  of  an  entirely  different 
nature  were  more  effective.  In  short,  no  two  teachers 
ever  exactly  agreed  as  to  the  rules  which  must  be 
taught  and  observed  in  order  to  train  a  voice. 

Columbus  started  out  to  find  a  sea  route  to  India 
and  by  accident  discovered  America.  Thus  it  was 
with  the  so-called  methods.  By  accident  they  pro- 
duced a  voice  now  and  then;  mostly  the  student  and 
teacher  produced  nothing.  Now^adays  we  have  an 
exact  mariner's  chart  and  the  navigator  does  not  arrive 
in  port  by  accident,  he  knows  not  only  the  exact  route 
to  take  in  order  to  reach  his  destination,  but  he  knows 
the  hour  and  the  day  he  will  land, 
y!  All  voice  is  produced  by  the  action  of  the  vocal 
^  organ,  therefore  the  training  of  the  voice  must  be  in 
reality  a  training  of  the  vocal  organ,  just  as  playing 
the  piano  is  the  result  of  the  training  of  the  muscles 
and  nerves  of  the  fingers,  hands  and  arms,  controlled 
by  the  mind ! 

Therefore,  we  must  train  organs,  rather  than  voice. 
If  the  organs  act  rightly  and  are  under  the  control 


18 


LESSON  XVIII 


of  the  mind,  good  voice  must  be  the  result  in  every 
case.  If  the  voice  is  faulty  it  can  only  be  because  the 
vocal  organ  is  faulty;  correct  that  and  the  voice  is 
always  good. 

In  future  lessons  on  resonance  you  will  obtain 
further  proofs. 

EXERCISES  TO  LESSON  XVIII 
CHEST,  HEAD  AND  FALSETTO  VOICE 

Always  remember  from  first  to  last,  that  the  tongue 
attack,  like  the  poor,  we  have  always  with  us.  Never 
fail  to  practice  the  tongue  attack  daily  and  whenever 
you  can,  to  the  end  of  the  course  and  even  after  that. 
The  main  practice,  the  exercise  which  will  strengthen 
the  tongue,  has  not  yet  been  given,  for  the  simple  rea- 
son that  you  are  not  ready  for  it.  Many  other  things 
must  be  understood  before  you  can  fully  understand 
the  importance — no,  the  absolute  dependence — of  all 
superior  voices  upon  this  singular  exercise. 

While  you  are  getting  a  most  comprehensive  edu- 
cation in  all  matters  that  pertain  to  the  voice,  you,  of 
course,  want  to  use  all  the  voice  you  now  have  to  the 
best  advantage,  and  much  can  be  done  with  the  voice 
nature  has  given  you.  In  this  connection  I  want  to 
mention  a  point  that  came  to  my  notice  a  few  days 
ago.  A  lady  of  about  32  years  of  age  called  and  told 
me  that  she  had  always  wanted  to  sing,  but  was  afraid 
she  had  no  voice.  An  examination  showed  that  she 
had  everything  to  make  a  fine  singer  in  a  very  short 
while.  In  the  course  of  the  conversation  she  told  me 
that  as  a  child  of  about  4  years  she  was  often  called 
upon  to  sing  for  strangers,  but  that  one  time  she  no- 
ticed that  the  people  made  fun  of  her  singing,  and  from 
then  on  she  never  sang  in  public.   Such  things  I  have 


LESSON  XVIII 


19 


heard  before.  It  only  shows  that  the  wise  man  was 
right  when  he  said  one  should  be  very  careful  in  the 
choice  of  one's  parents.  But  one  thing  she  said  was 
new  to  me.  She  is  of  a  normal,  pleasant  temperament 
and  yet  she  said  that  she  had  never  been  able  to  laugh 
heartily,  only  in  a  little  giggle.  Now,  the  day  before, 
a  young  man  from  a  neighboring  state  called  at  my 
studio.  He  stammered  rather  badly. 

Would  you  believe  that  the  two  cases,  the  lady  and 
the  young  man,  were  almost  identical?  In  both  cases 
there  was  a  naturally  good  voice.  The  hyo-glossi 
muscle  was  very  strong  in  the  stammerer,  markedly 
so,  but  neither  of  the  two  could  use  this  muscle  to  good 
effect.  Through  some  cause  they  lost  the  use  of  the 
muscle,  with  the  result  that,  in  one  case,  singing  and 
laughing  was  made  impossible;  in  the  other  case,  stam- 
mering was  the  result.   Both  will  be  absolutely  cured. 

This  lesson  is  a  special  lesson  for  the  singer,  but 
speakers  should  also  study  it,  because  it  gives  them  a 
further  experience  and  insight  into  the  matter  of  dif- 
ferent voice  attacks.  Of  course,  I  do  not  expect  the 
speaker  to  sing,  or  to  study  the  songs  which  I  am  going 
to  mention,  but  those  of  the  speakers  who  are  public 
orators,  especially  actors,  often  need  a  change  of  voice 
for  special  effects,  and  this  lesson  will  help  toward  that 
end.  I  am  reminded  especially  of  Talmage,  whom  I 
knew  personally.  His  style  was  different  from  any  other 
speaker.  When  other  speakers  gradually  work  up  to 
the  climax  of  a  sentence,  that  is,  become  louder,  more 
emphatic  as  they  approach  the  most  important  part 
of  a  sentence,  Talmage  did  just  the  opposite.  He 
started  loud  and  fell  to  a  whisper,  so  that  you  had  to 
strain  your  ears  to  catch  his  words.  It  was  very  effective 
because  it  commanded  the  closest  attention  and  abso- 


/ 


20  LESSON  XVI 11 

lute  silence.  Just  such  effects  can  be  learned  through 
these  lessons  on  attack.   Of  course,  speakers  must  use 


Fig.  119 

Mrs.  Siddons  as  the  Tragic  Muse — Reynolds. 


their  own  judgment  when  and  how  to  apply  it.  It  is 
said  that  the  famous  English  actress,  Mrs.  Siddons, 
meditated  hours  daily  upon  her  subject,  studying  each 
nuance  and  effect  before  delivery  to  the  public.  When 


LESSON  XVIII 


21 


a  subject  is  mastered  in  that  way,  success  is  always 
assured. 

The  stammerer  will  also  derive  great  benefit  from 
this  lesson;  to  him  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to 
know  every  vocal  device,  for  after  all  is  said  and  done, 
the  stammerer  as  well  as  the  speaker  and  singer  must 
cure  himself,  develop  his  own  voice.  No  one  can  do 
that  for  him.  The  only  successful  teaching  is  to  show 
you  how  to  help  yourself.  There  is  no  short  cut  to 
vocal  development  otherwise  than  by  knowing  and 
practicing  an  exact  method. 

CHEST  TONES 

By  chest  tone  is  meant  every  tone,  whether  low  or 
high,  that  can  be  made  strong  without  the  slighte.st 
effort.  The  low  tones  vibrate  in  the  chest  and  natur- 
ally the  strong  tones  vibrate  more  than  the  weak 
tones,  hence  all  strong  tones  were  termed  chest  tones. 
This  "chest  tone"  you  can  develop  from  the  highest 
tones  as  well  as  the  lowest  by  means  of  the  tongue 
attack.  When  the  hyo-glossi  muscle  is  made  very 
powerful,  your  voice  will  be  chest  throughout  the  scale, 
equaling  the  voices  of  the  international  big  singers. 

The  head  tone  is  not  made  in  the  head,  but  the 
medium  voice  of  the  high  voices  and  the  higher  notes 
of  low  voices  are  felt  more  in  the  head  than  anywhere 
else,  hence  the  name  head  tone.  But  most  singers 
have  the  ''tongue  beat"  in  this  range  and  it  should 
always  be  employed.  The  range  of  these  medium 
tones  is  in  the  high  voices  usually  from  "E"  on  the 
first  line  to  "F"  on  the  fifth  line,  and  for  low  voices 
from  ''A"  below  the  line  to  "C"  in  the  third  space, 
or  even  a  little  higher.  All  these  tones  can  usually 
be  sung  with  the  tongue  beat.    By  this  time,  I  am 


22 


LESSON  XVIII 


sure  all  of  my  students  can  employ  the  tongue  beat 
^for  these  medium  tones.  Now  the  high  voices  who 
'cannot  employ  the  tongue  attack  belov/  ''E"  on  the 
first  line,  may  use  the  glottis  attack  for  all  tones  be- 
low this  note.  Again  the  high  voices  who  do  not  feel 
the  tongue  beat  above  'T"  on  the  fifth  line,  may  still 
sing  considerably  higher  by  using  the  palate  attack;  in 
fact,  they  can  go  very  high  with  this  attack  and  the 
effect  in  small  halls  or  in  church  is  very  pleasant  and 
effective.  The  palate  attack  is  especially  useful  for 
parlor  or  in  the  home  singing.  It  is  easy  to  learn  and 
can  be  used  almost  at  once,  while  the  tongue  attack 
for  the  higher  tones  often  requires  a  very  great  deal 
of  practice,  and  a  long  time  is  needed  to  create  the 
almost  abnormal  strength  required  for  all  tones. 

Naturally  low  voices  can  usually  employ  the  tongue 
attack  from  "A"  below  the  line  to  ''C"  in  the  third 
space.  They  can,  however,  go  still  lower  by  employ- 
ing the  glottis  attack;  often  that  will  carry  them  3 — 4 
tones  lower,  enough  for  all  practical  purposes.  The 
glottis  attack  is  sometimes  even  stronger  than  the 
tongue  attack,  but  not  so  musical  and  not  so  refined  as 
is  the  tone  with  purely  tongue  attack.  The  low  voices, 
like  the  high  voices,  can  also  employ  the  palate  attack 
for  the  tones  above  ''C"  in  the  third  space,  but  they 
should,  as  a  rule,  not  go  beyond  "F"  on  the  fifth  line. 
Both  of  these  attacks,  the  glottis  and  the  palate  attack, 
can  be  quickly  learned  and  employed.  I  have  not  told 
you  this  before,  because  I  wanted  you  to  thoroughly 
understand  all  about  vocal  attack  before  you  do  too 
much  singing;  from  now  on  you  can  sing  all  you  want 
to.  Be  sure  to  use  the  tongue  attack  for  the  medium 
tones,  the  palate  attack  for  high  tones,  and  the  glottis 
attack  for  low  tones,  until  you  can  employ  the  tongue 
attack  for  the  entire  range. 


LESSON  XVI 1 1 


23 


THE  FALSETTO  VOICE 

Male  sopranos  were  formerly  in  high  repute,  in 
fact,  many  of  the  great  singers  of  whom  history  speaks 
so  much  were  male  sopranos,  that  is,  the  boys'  voices 
were  preserved  artificially,  by  means  of  an  operation, 
so  that  the  voice  did  not  change  as  is  usual  with  boys. 

Boys'  voices,  girls'  and  women's  voices,  sound  an 
octave  higher  than  the  normal  male  voice.  That  is 
to  say,  when  a  man,  whether  a  bass,  baritone  or  tenor, 
sings  the  middle  *'C"  on  the  piano,  the  "C"  under  the 
first  line  of  the  staff  and  then  a  boy,  girl  or  woman, 
whether  alto  or  soprano,  sings  the  same  note,  it  sounds 
an  octave  higher  in  the  female  or  boy  voice,  though 
the  notes  are  now  written  alike  for  all  voices. 

But  the  normal  male  voices  can  imitate  a  female 
voice  by  singing  a  thin,  light  tone  which  will  sound 
an  octave  higher  than  written,  just  as  is  the  case  in 
the  female  voice.  In  the  same  way  an  alto  can  sing 
soprano  passages  and  some  sopranos,  like  Ellen  Beach 
Yaw,  can  sing  an  octave  higher  than  high  ''C." 

This  ability  to  change  the  voice  an  entire  octave 
higher  than  normal  is  called  ''Falsetto."  It  is  as  the 
term  indicates,  a  false  or  artificial  voice.  It  should  be 
employed  only  for  special  effects,  such  as  echo  effects, 
or  here  and  there  for  an  extra  high  note,  or  for  bell- 
like effects. 

The  falsetto  voice,  like  the  head  voice,  is  attained 
only  with  the  palate  attack.  In  reality  this  eliminates 
the  tongue  attack  and  is  therefore  artificial  and  not 
normal.  It  should  be  employed  only  occasionally,  be- 
cause in  the  first  place  it  tends  to  strain  the  voice  if 
used  too  much;  secondly,  it  becomes  monotonous. 

The  following  list  contains  songs  of  a  very  limited 
range,  suitable  for  all  voices,  as  the  lowest  note  in  any 


24 


LESSON  XVIII 


song  is  only  ''C"  below  the  staff  and  only  one  song 
goes  as  high  as  ''G"  above  the  staff. 

First  try  them  over  on  your  piano  or  have  some 
one  play  them  for  you,  then  play  the  melody,  making 
sure  to  get  the  correct  time  and  rhythm.  Thus  im- 
press your  mind  before  you  attempt  singing.  After 
that  insert  little  finger  under  the  tongue  and  sing  each 
note  of  the  melody  to  ''ha."  Observe  carefully  on 
what  notes  you  feel  the  tongue  beat.  Do  not  try  to 
make  the  beat.  It  must  come  automatically.  Merely 
think  that  all  tones  come  "out  of  the  tongue."  Forget 
throat,  head,  even  breath,  and  concentrate  upon  the 
tongue.  If  you  merely  leave  your  tongue  free  and 
loose,  you  can,  by  now,  I  am  sure,  obtain  a  "beat"  on 
nearly  every  tone — provided,  of  course,  you  have  prac- 
ticed the  tongue  exercises  regularly,  as  I  have  in- 
structed you  to  do. 

The  very  light  voices  and  the  high  sopranos  and 
tenors  may  find  that  there  is  no  beat  below  "E"  on 
the  first  line  and  that  the  tone  is  breathy,  husky  and 
poor  below  that  note.  To  get  the  lower  notes  they 
should  use  the  glottis  attack,  as  taught.  First  go 
through  the  glottis  exercises  and  then  sing  the  notes 
in  the  way  explained  in  glottis  attack.  Do  not,  how- 
ever, use  the  glottis  attack  above  the  note  on  which 
you  can  obtain  a  tongue  attack. 

The  strong  voices,  whether  male  or  female,  should 
now  have  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  tongue  beat  for  all 
notes  from  middle  "C"  to  its  octave. 

Most  sopranos  and  tenors  will  be  able  to  use  the 
tongue  attack  to  "F"  on  the  fifth  line  and  should  use 
that.  But  basses,  baritones  and  altos  may  find  that 
the  tongue  attack  cannot  be  used  above  "C"  in  the 
third  space.  The  notes  above  that  should  then  be 
studied  with  the  palate  attack.    The  blending  of  the 


LESSON  XVIII 


25 


registers  will  come  in  a  later  lesson.  For  the  present 
do  the  best  you  can.  After  studying  the  song  to  ''ha" 
use  the  words,  still  with  the  little  finger,  later  without. 

Read  the  words  loud  with  little  finger  under  the 
tongue  before  you  sing  the  song. 

LIST  OF  SONGS  FOR  MEDIUM  VOICE 

Because  I  Love  You,  Dear — Dorothy  Foster.  Compass 
D  to  F.    Price,  60c. 

Love,  Here  Is  My  Heart  (new) — Lao  Silesu.  Compass 
C  to  E  flat.  Price,  60c. 

A  May  Morning  (old) — L.  Denza.  Compass  D  to  E 
flat.  Price,  60c. 

Beauty's  Eyes  (old) — Paolo  Tosti.    Compass  E  flat  to  - 
E  flat.  Price,  60c. 

That  Sweet  Story  of  Old  (Sacred) — J.  A.  West.  Com- 
pass D  to  E  flat.  Price,  50c. 

Throw  Me  a  Rose  (new) — E.  Kalman.    Compass  D 
to  G.  Price,  60c. 

Select  any  songs  you  choose;  if  you  cannot  get 
them  through  your  dealer,  send  the  price  and  we  will 
order  them  for  you.  Please  add  ten  cents  for  post- 
age on  each  order. 

The  next  lesson  will  contain  further  instruction  re- 
lating to  these  songs.  Then  will  follow  detailed  in- 
structions for  speakers  and  defective  voices. 


26  LESSON  XVIII 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON 

XVIII 

1.  Who  was  considered  the  greatest  orator  among 
the  ancients? 

2.  How  did  he  develop  his  voice? 

3.  Can  we  learn  anything  of  practical  value  to 
the  voice  from  the  old  Teachers  of  Voice? 

4.  What  is  meant  by  chest  voice? 

5.  What  is  meant  by  head  voice? 

6.  What  is  meant  by  falsetto  voice? 

7.  What  must  be  trained,  the  voice  or  the  vocal 
organ? 

8.  On  what  notes  (if  you  are  a  singer)  do  you 
feel  the  tongue  beat? 

9.  What  is  the  difference  between  boys'  and  female 
voices,  and  men's  voices? 

10.  Can  you  employ  all  three  attacks  now? 


LESSON  XIX 


CAUSES  OF  A  DEFECTIVE  VOICE  AND  HOW 
TO  CURE  IT 

HOARSENESS  AND  HUSKINESS 

It  has  been  estimated  by  reputable  physicians  that 
from  two  to  five  per  cent  of  all  children  in  the  public 
schools  of  the  United  States,  suffer  from  some  kind  of 
vocal  defects.  In  New  York  City  alone,  the  number  of 
defective  voices  among  school  children  is  200,000.  I 
will  not  estimate  the  number  of  men  and  women  whose 
voices  are  more  or  less  defective,  but  they  would  reach 
several  millions.  These  estimates  are  for  distinct  and 
special  defects,  such  as  stammering,  lisping,  stuttering, 
cleft  palates,  and  lost  voices. 

To  these  should  be  added  the  very  large  number  of 
people  whose  voices  are  habitually  hoarse,  husky,  shrill, 
nasal,  breathy  or  monotonous.  Those  suffering  from 
catarrh  and — I  state  it  as  a  matter  of  personal  experi- 
nc  e — some  forms  of  heart  and  lung  diseases,  should 
also  be  included. 

Who  can  measure  the  amount  of  suffering,  the 
mental  and  physical  discomfort  and  the  pecuniary  loss 
to  the  people  of  the  entire  country,  due  to  vocal  defects? 

The  general  health  of  an  individual  of  course  has 
much  to  do  with  the  condition  of  his  voice,  and  again 
the  nervous  temperament  will  in  large  measure  affect 
the  quality  of  one's  voice.  A  sweet-tempered  person 
will  be  found  to  have  a  much  more  pleasant  voice 
than  an  ill-tempered  person. 

The  universe  and  every  part  within  it,  man  in- 
cluded, is  governed  by  two  forms  of  energy:  the  posi- 
tive and  negative.    One  force  is  constantly  construc- 

1 


2 


LESSON  XIX 


tive— building  up;  the  other  is  just  as  constantly  de- 
structive— tearing  down.  In  the  Hght  of  religion  and 
modern  science,  the  moral  instinct  in  man  must  be 
called  upon  to  assist  the  constructive  force.  The  moral 
will,  the  determination  to  develop,  to  grow,  must  be 
present  in  every  person  and  in  the  measure  that  this 
moral  force  is  called  upon  to  assist  the  positive  force, 
just  so  much  will  be  the  growth  of  the  individual 
morally,  mentally  and  physically.  This  does  not  mean 
that  he  must  merely  decide  to  develop  all  around  or  in 
a  certain  direction.  No.  His  will  power  must  be  so 
strong  that  he  will  seek  the  means,  search  for  the  best 
way  to  develop  and  then  work  with  all  his  might  to- 
ward that  end.  Many  are  born  weak,  but  more  let 
themselves  become  weak.  If  they  are  not  actively 
assisting  the  destructive  force,  they  are  at  least  neutral 
and  weak.    Gradual  dissolution  will  overtake  them. 

The  constructive,  binding  force  in  energy  manifests 
itself  as  follows:  Gravity,  or  the  attraction  between 
masses  which  tends  to  bring  them  together;  Cohesion, 
or  the  attraction  between  the  molecules  composing  all 
visible  matter;  Chemical  Affinity,  or  the  attraction 
between  the  atoms  or  chemical  elements  of  which  all 
molecules  are  composed. 

The  destructive  force  in  energy  manifests  itself  as 
follows :  Force  which  tends  to  separate  material  masses 
from  each  other,  that  is  Repelling  Force;  Force  which 
tends  to  separate  material  molecules  from  each  other, 
as  for  instance,  LIGHT  and  HEAT;  Force  which 
tends  to  separate  atoms  from  each  other,  as  Light, 
Heat,  Electricity,  Pressure,  Percussion,  etc. 

All  physical  activities  result  from  the  action  and 
reaction  between  these  sets  of  opposing  forces.  The 
particles  of  which  matter  is  composed  would  combine 
into  a  solid  mass  by  reason  of  the  pull  of  the  binding 


LESSON  XIX 


3 


forces,  unless  this  were  prevented  by  the  push  and 
resistance  of  the  separating  forces.  Or,  on  the  other 
hand,  these  particles  would  be  scattered  and  dissipated 
into  space  by  the  separating  forces,  unless  they  were 
prevented  by  the  pull  and  resistance  of  the  binding 
forces.  In  the  same  way  the  earth  would  fall  into  the 
sun  by  reason  of  the  action  of  the  binding  forces,  if 
this  were  not  prevented  by  the  action  of  the  separating 
forces.  On  the  other  hand,  the  earth  would  fly  off  into 
space — far  away  from  its  sun — by  the  action  of  the 
separating  forces,  were  it  not  for  the  resistance  and  pull 
of  the  binding  forces.  The  balance  between  these  two 
sets  of  forces  keeps  the  corpuscles  in  place  and  yet  in 
motion ;  the  earth  in  place  and  yet  in  motion  in  its  orbit 
around  the  sun.  Were  this  balance  lost  chaos  would 
result,  and  the  cosmos  would  perish.  With  these  two 
powers  in  conflict,  the  universe  is  the  theatre  of  ceaseless 
redistribution  of  its  contents,  whether  in  the  sweep  of 
the  stars  through  space,  or  in  the  vibrations  of  the 
invisible  particles  of  the  human  body. 

Life  and  death  are  in  constant  conflict.  A  child  is 
born,  weak  and  helpless.  Statistics  prove  that  the 
average  weight  of  a  child  at  birth  is  63^2  pounds.  At 
the  end  of  the  first  year  its  weight  is  183^  pounds,  so 
that  its  body  has  increased  threefold.  At  the  end  of  the 
second  year  the  weight  is  23  pounds.  In  the  first  year 
an  increase  of  12  pounds  takes  place,  in  the  second  year 
only  4:}/2  pounds.  From  then  on  the  increase  in  weight 
is  very  slow,  with  many  variations  up  to  the  12th  or 
13th  year,  when  there  is  again  a  rapid  increase  in  weight 
and  development  up  to  the  15th  or  16th  year. 

The  energy  which  so  far  has  developed  the  body, 
gradually  becomes  less  after  that  period,  the  weight 
increases  slowly  until  about  the  30th  year,  to  remain 
about  the  same  till  40,  after  which,  under  normal  condi- 


4 


LESSON  XIX 


tions,  the  weight  decreases.  We  know  that  the  sub- 
stance of  our  organs  must  be  constantly  renewed,  but 
the  abiHty  to  do  this  is  steadily  diminished  as  we  grow 
in  years.  Food  is  taken  into  the  digestive  organs  and 
converted  into  blood,  which  is  the  fluid  through  which 
all  organs  of  the  body  receive  their  substance.  We  see 
therein  a  constant  force  of  creation;  the  dead  sub- 
stance of  the  food  is  converted  into  pulsating  life.  But 
this  creative  energy  diminishes  as  we  grow  in  years. 

However,  we  have  learned  that  the  deterioration 
of  many  organs  in  our  body  can  be  arrested.  The 
muscles  which  have  become  flabby  and  weak  can  be 
made  strong  through  proper  exercise  and  food.  It  has 
been  observed  many  times  that  in  greatly  advanced 
years  a  new  set  of  teeth  have  grown,  also  that  the 
white  hairs  in  many  instances  have  fallen  out  and  been 
replaced  by  hair  of  natural  color. 

As  we  are  concerned  only  with  the  organs  of  voice, 
only  the  muscles  which  operate  in  voice  need  be  con- 
sidered. The  two  forces,  constructive  and  destructive, 
operate  in  the  vocal  muscles  as  they  do  in  all  other 
parts  of  the  body.  Many  persons  are  born  with  weak 
voices;  that  is,  with  weak  vocal  muscles,  hence  they 
are  more  liable  to  disease  because  they  have  not  the 
power  or  resistance  natural  to  those  with  strong  vocal 
muscles. 

Again,  many  people  are  born  with  naturally  strong 
voices,  but  through  ignorance  or  accident  lose  that 
endowment.  In  both  cases  the  weak  voice  tends  to 
become  still  weaker  and  this  general  deterioration  of 
the  vocal  organs  often  affects  the  entire  body,  the  mouth, 
throat,  lungs,  etc.  Enlarged  tonsils  and  adenoids  may 
not  be  the  result  of  weak  vocal  organs,  but  I  am  sure 
that  persons  with  strong  vocal  organs  do  not  usually 
suffer  from  enlarged  tonsils  or  adenoids.  I  have  never 


LESSON  XIX 


5 


known  a  case  where  the  removal  of  tonsils  either  helped 
in  strengthening  the  voice  or  made  it  easier.  Weak 
voices  are  not  made  strong  by  the  removal  of  the  tonsils. 
On  the  contrary,  I  know  of  cases  where  the  enlarged 
tonsils  became  normal  after  the  voice  had  grown 
stronger,  supporting  my  own  belief  and  that  of  many 
physicians,  that  when  the  vocal  organ  is  made  healthy 
and  strong,  other  diseases  will  disappear.  In  the  case 
of  adenoids  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  they  should  be 
removed.  However,  I  would  give  the  voice  a  chance 
first,  before  deciding  on  an  operation. 

Hoarseness,  huskiness,  sore  throat,  nasality,  can  all 
be  cured  through  the  exercises  which  will  develop  the 
voice.  These  symptoms  are  often  caused  (when  not  due 
to  a  severe  cold)  by  weak  tongue  muscles. 

Strained  voices,  short  breath  and  monotonous 
delivery  are  the  result  of  weak  tongue  muscles. 


6 


LESSON  XIX 


Shrill,  hard,  staccato  voices  are  caused  by  the  over- 
use of  the  masticating  muscles.  These  must  be  elim- 
inated in  favor  of  the  tongue  muscles. 

Stammering,  lisping  and  stuttering  are  caused  by 
an  unwieldy  tongue.  The  tongue  is  usually  strong  in 
these  cases,  but  not  under  control.  Even  those  with 
cleft  palates  usually  have  the  same  defect.  They  do  not 
talk  with  the  tongue,  but  with  the  lips  and  palate 
only,  eliminating  the  most  powerful  factor  in  all  speech, 
— the  tongue. 


Fig.  121 

Diseased  Vocal  Organ. 

Large  Follicle  on  Pharyngeal  Wall.  Dilated  Blood  Vessels  with  Enlarged  and 

Adherent  Tonsils. 

Lost  Voices.  Why  is  it  that  not  only  amateurs, 
but  great  artists  often  lose  the  most  priceless  gift  in 
their  possession?  Here,  as  in  other  walks  of  life,  the 
price  of  success  is  everlasting  vigilance.  A  great  gift, 
like  a  great  business,  must  be  guarded  and  daily  won 
again.  But  in  the  case  of  the  singer  or  orator,  haw 
could  he  guard  his  voice  when  he  did  not  know  the 
truth  about  voice? 


LESSON  XIX 


7 


Since  nearly  all  voice  teaching  has  been  merely 
guess  work  and  assumption,  he  had  nothing  definite 
to  guide  him  and  the  advice  which  others  gave  him  was 
usually  misleading;  it  merely  made  his  case  worse 
instead  of  better.  Nor  could  the  physicians  help  him. 
Sprays  and  douches  are  only  of  temporary  value.  They 
do  not  remove  the  cause  of  a  defect  in  the  voice.  The 
great  singers,  all  those  that  sing  with  ease  in  a  full 
voice  throughout  the  entire  compass,  are  such  only  be- 
cause their  tongue  muscles  are  exceptionally  strong. 
Unfortunately  they  do  not  know  this;  if  they  did  they 
would  never  lose  their  voices,  but  to  the  contrary  their 
voices  would  become  even  better  and  endure  to  the  day 
of  their  death. 


Chronic  Catarrh — Thickened  Mucus  Adhering  to  the  Vocal  Chords. 

But  as  they  do  not  know  this,  they  seek  for  some- 
thing, they  know  not  what.  Usually  they  blame  breath- 
ing and  strive  to  develop  the  breath.  Even  in  that 
they  have  no  scientific  and  absolutely  correct  basis  to 
work  from.  A  strong  contraction  of  the  abdominal 
muscles  seems  to  help  at  least  temporarily,  or,  worst  of 
all,  they  contract  the  jaw  muscles.  That  also  gives 
needed  aid  for  a  short  time.  Sometimes  they  are  taught 
to  raise  the  palate,  to  sing  against  the  face,  etc.  If 


Fig.  122 

Diseased  Vocal  Organ. 


8  LESSON  XIX 


they  follow  that  advice  their  voices  become  thin,  so, 
wherever  they  look  and  whatever  they  do  the  outcome 
is  the  same,  loss  of  voice. 

Then  there  is  that  vast  majority  of  amateur  singers 
who  had  sweet  voices  when  they  were  young,  but  the 
voice  lasted  only  a  few  years  and  then  went  to  pieces. 
What  has  happened?  In  the  first  place  they  never  had 
a  really  good  voice.  They  had  sufficient  strength  in 
the  tongue  muscles  to  stretch  the  vocal  cords  up  to  F 
on  the  fifth  line,  but  not  beyond.  Their  vocal  organ, 
owing  to  their  youth,  was  still  pliable.  It  could  do 
things  which  a  settled  and  hardened  vocal  organ  can- 
not do.  But  if  they  had  known  the  limits  of  their  voice, 
they  could  easily  have  preserved  them  and  by  prac- 
tice made  their  tongue  muscles  stronger,  till,  finally, 
their  voices  would  have  become  equal  to  those  of  the 
great  artists. 

Now,  using  my  method,  they  cannot  only  regain  the 
voice,  but  in  a  short  while  make  it  a  better  voice  than 
it  has  ever  been,  and  gradually  become  truly  great 
singers  or  speakers. 

Of  course,  what  has  been  said  about  singers  applies 
equally  to  speakers.  They,  like  the  singers,  lose  their 
voices.  The  same  cause  and  the  same  remedy  will 
restore  their  voices. 

If  you  have  the  patience  and  perseverance  which  is 
needed  to  accomplish  any  great  work,  there  is  nothing 
that  can  prevent  you  from  becoming  either  a  great 
singer  or  speaker.  Just  stick  to  it. 

EXERCISES  TO  LESSON  XIX 

All  voice  defects  of  whatever  kind  can  be  traced  to 
two  causes.  One  of  these  causes  is  a  general  weak- 
ness, especially  of  the  tongue  muscle.    The  muscles 


LESSON  XIX 


9 


which  are  the  principal  agents  in  stretching  the  vocal 
cords  are  the  hyo-glossi  muscles. 

When  these  muscles  are  weak,  a  weak  voice,  both  in 
speaking  and  singing,  is  the  result.  But  the  trouble 
goes  far  deeper,  for  this  weakness  is  the  direct  cause 
of  a  husky  voice,  hoarseness,  inflammation  of  the  vocal 
cords  and  of  the  throat,  swelling  of  the  tonsils,  frequent 
colds  and  sore  throat,  coughs,  shortness  of  breath, 
constant  clearing  of  throat,  too  much  saliva  and  general 
irritation.  Nervousness  and  despondency  often  follow. 
Even  cases  of  pulmonary  affection  and  consumption 
can  be  traced  to  weak  hyo-glossi  muscles  and  conse- 
quently to  a  weak  vocal  organ. 


Fig.  123 

Pathological  Effect  of  Throat  and  Voice  Diseases. 

What  is  the  cure? 

The  only  real  and  permanent  cure  possible  is  the 
strengthening  of  the  hyo-glossi  muscles  as  taught  in 
these  lessons. 


10 


LESSON  XIX 


Place  a  finger  under  the  lowest  bone  of  the  larynx; 
that  is,  under  the  cricoid  or  ring  bone.  Hold  the  finger 
there  while  you  speak  or  sing.  If  this  bone  is  drawn 
downward  with  the  throat,  it  shows  that  the  upward 
pulling  muscles  are  inactive. 

Make  the  same  test  and  sing  or  speak  again.  If  this 
bone  rises  upward,  then  you  may  be  sure  that  the 
upward  pulling  muscles  are  very  weak  indeed,  even 
weaker  than  when  the  larynx  is  being  drawn  down- 
ward. 

Why  this  is  so,  is  being  explained  in  the  theoretical 
parts  of  the  lessons. 

When  the  upward  pulling  muscles  are  weak,  much 
practice  is  needed  to  make  them  strong,  and  in  some 
cases  it  may  take  a  very  long  time,  but  regular  practice 
will  do  it. 

If  you  have  the  patience,  the  reward  will  be  wonder- 
ful indeed,  both  in  voice  and  general  health. 

Now,  as  you  want  to  and  must  use  the  voice  every 
day,  exercises  have  been  given  that  will  give  you  the 
best  command  over  the  natural  voice  which  you  now 
have,  and  much  can  be  done  if  you  follow  all  the 
directions.  Another  valuable  lesson  in  making  your 
present  voice  immediately  available,  follows  herewith. 

The  second  cause  of  vocal  defects  must  be  traced 
not  to  the  weakness  of  the  vocal  muscles,  but  to  the 
very  general  ignorance  in  using  the  strength  of  the  vocal 
muscles  to  the  best  advantage.  Strange  as  it  may  seem, 
many,  yes  very  many  people,  have  strong  vocal  organs, 
but  they  are  not  making  good  use  of  the  gift  which 
is  theirs.  For  some  cause  or  other,  they  have  lost 
the  use  of  the  essential  muscles,  with  the  result  that 
the  voice  is  hard,  shrill,  disagreeable  or,  still  worse, 
as  is  the  case  with  many,  they  stammer,  stutter  or  over- 


LESSON  XIX 


11 


lap.   They  talk  or  sing  out  of  the  throat  or  with  stiff 
jaws,  through  the  teeth  or  through  the  nose. 
What  is  the  cure? 

The  only  legitimate  and  permanent  cure  for  all 
these  troubles  is  to  use  the  tongue  at  all  times. 

1.  Place  your  thumb,  the  fleshy  part,  against  the 
chin,  with  the  curved  forefinger  in  front,  the  thumb  un- 
der it,  just  as  if  you  were  pinching  the  chin  between  the 
thumb  and  first  finger.  Press  your  thumb  somewhat 
upward  into  the  fleshy  part  of  the  chin.  Close  your 
mouth  and  observe  whether  the  flesh  under  the  chin 
(nearest  the  bone,  not  near  the  throat)  swells  or  be- 
comes hard. 

2.  Keep  the  thumb  under  the  chin  as  before  and 
talk  first  softly,  lightly,  then  in  your  natural,  ordinary 
way  and  then  loudly,  or  sing  first  softly,  then  natu- 
rally, then  loudly. 

If  the  flesh  under  the  chin  swells  downward  very 
much  and  especially  if  this  flesh  becomes  hard,  be  sure 
you  are  wrong. 

3.  Make  a  fist.  Close  the  mouth  and  place  the  fist 
under  and  against  the  bone  of  the  chin.  Press  the  fist 
rather  forcibly  upward  against  the  chin  and  try  to  open 
your  mouth.  Notice  that  you  feel  a  tight  sensation  in 
the  jaw,  especially  near  the  ears;  somewhat  as  if  you 
were  trying  to  crack  a  hard  nut  with  your  teeth. 

4.  Do  again  as  in  No.  3  and  now  while  you  are 
trying  to  open  your  mouth  in  spite  of  the  strong 
pressure  of  your  fist  against  your  chin,  suddenly  let  go 
with  the  fist,  that  is,  suddenly  withdraw  the  hand  from 
the  chin  and  notice  now — a  sudden  relaxation  in  the 
jaw,  a  loose,  flexible  jaw.  Dig  your  thumb  into  the 
fleshy  part  of  your  chin  and  notice  that  now  your  chin 
is  loose  and  remember  that  while  speaking  and  singing 


12 


LESSON  XIX 


the  chin  should  be  almost  as  loose  as  it  is  when  you 
relax. 

Do  not  think,  because  you  are  holding  your  jaw 
and  chin  muscles  very  stiff,  that  this  is  the  cause  of 
your  bad  voice,  of  stammering,  etc.  Just  the  reverse 
is  the  truth. 

Because  you  use  your  voice  badly,  because  you 
stammer,  etc.,  that  is  the  reason  why  your  muscles  are 
stiff. 

The  real  reason  is  that  you  are  not  using  your 
tongue  and  all  your  troubles  arise  from  this  fact.  Here 
are  further  proofs. 

1.  Merely  open  the  mouth  and  look  at  your  tongue. 
Is  the  tongue  drawn  away  from  the  front  teeth?  Is  the 
tongue  narrow?  Is  it  up  in  the  back?  Does  it  make  a 
hump?  Does  the  tongue  twitch  or  tremble? 

All  of  these  faults  are  an  indication  of  the  wrong 
use  of  the  tongue.  If  your  tongue  is  right  and  if  you 
had  the  proper  control  over  it,  it  would  lie  quietly  and 
smoothly  in  the  mouth,  filling  the  space  between  the 
teeth. 

2.  Put  your  forefinger  inside  the  mouth  and  touch 
the  tongue  near  the  back,  just  where  it  goes  down  into 
the  throat.   Is  it  hard? 

Speak  or  sing  as  well  as  you  can,  and  at  the  same 
time  touch  the  tip  of  your  tongue,  noticing  carefully 
whether  this  tip  remains  loose.  If  the  tip  becomes  hard 
or  still,  then  you  are  not  using  your  tongue  properly 
at  all. 

The  stiffer  the  tongue,  the  worse  you  talk  and  the 
harder  is  your  voice  in  singing. 

This  stiffening  of  the  tongue  is  usually  the  main 
physiological  cause  of  stammering  and  stuttering.  The 
stammerer  will  find  that  on  a  syllable  where  his 
tongue's  tip  is  loose,  he  will  not  only  not  stammer,  but 


LESSON  XIX 


13 


that  his  voice  will  be  usually  good.  On  the  contrary 
every  time  that  he  stammers,  he  will  find  these  things: 
First,  the  tip  of  the  tongue  is  hard;  second,  the  tongue 
is  drawn  back  from  the  front  teeth;  third,  the  back  of 
the  tongue  is  way  up;  it  forms  an  arch  or  hump;  fourth, 
the  entire  tongue  is  hard  and  stiff. 

Naturally  he  stammers  with  a  tongue  in  such  a  con- 
dition. It  is  surprising  that  he  can  even  emit  any 
sound  at  all. 

When  the  tongue  is  stiff  and  hard,  it  will  cause  the 
chin  and  jaw  muscles  to  become  stiff  also.  Now  when 
this  condition  is  much  exaggerated  as  is  usually  the 
case  with  stammerers  and  stutterers,  of  course  speaking 
or  good  singing  is  made  very  difficult,  if  not  impossible. 

When  the  complete  control  of  the  tongue  has  been 
learned  and  the  habit  acquired,  to  use  this  control  in 
speech  and  song,  there  will  be  neither  stammering, 
stuttering  or  harshness  possible. 

Always  think  the  tongue  loose  and  flexible,  not  only 
when  you  speak  or  sing,  but  all  the  time! 

All  those  with  an  unwieldy  tongue,  with  a  stiff  jaw 
and  chin,  must  patiently  persist  in  all  the  tongue  exer- 
cises. The  final  and  most  important  exercise  for  the 
tongue  is  still  to  come.  It  will  be  given  as  soon  as  you 
are  ready  for  it.  You  can  afford  to  be  patient,  because 
you  have  a  great  deal  of  strength.  You  are  really  bet- 
ter off  than  those  with  very  weak  tongue  muscles.  As 
soon  as  your  tongue  is  free  and  under  your  control,  you 
are  finished.  The  voice  and  speech  are  already  yours. 

HIGH  OR  LOW  TONES,  ENLARGED  COMPASS. 

The  following  exercises  are  similar  to  some  already 
given,  but  they  need  much  repetition,  and  they  must 
become  gradually  more  and  more  exact  and  precise. 


14 


LESSON  XIX 


The  deep  voices,  Bass,  Baritone  and  Alto  can  en- 
large their  compass  as  well  as  the  high  voices.  A  deep, 
low  voice  is  especially  effective  for  speakers  in  very 
serious,  solemn  discourse.  If  the  tongue  beat  ceases 
at  B,  A  or  G  below  the  musical  staff,  you  can  obtain 
still  lower  tones  if  you  continue  the  glottis  attack  down 
the  scale. 

Close  the  mouth  and  clear  the  throat  very  lightly, 
as  if  removing  phlegm,  gradually  go  into  a  continued 
humming,  like  a  bumble  bee,  but  never  through  the 
nose.  It  must  feel  way  down  in  the  throat,  but  so  easy 
and  free  that  there  is  not  the  slightest  strain.  Place 
a  hand  on  the  chest  and  notice  that  the  chest  vibrates 
strongly.  Think  that  there  are  two  thick  pads  of  flesh 
down  in  the  throat. 

1.  Do  this  humming  or  growling  and  gradually 
count  "one,"  **two,"  "three,"  "four,"  etc.,  as  long  as 
your  breath  lasts.  Expect  these  counts  from  deep  down 
in  the  throat. 

2.  Repeat  the  above,  but  descend  in  the  scale.  Go 
lower,  as  low  as  you  can  go  without  any  strain.  Your 
naturally  lowest  note  is  the  note  that  you  can  speak  or 
sing  without  strain.   Do  not  go  below  that. 

The  high  voices,  Soprano,  Tenor,  Mezzo-Soprano 
and  children's  voices,  can  enlarge  their  compass  very 
much,  and  quickly,  by  practicing  and  utilizing  all  that 
has  been  said  about  the  palate  attack  and  the  falsetto. 
In  fact,  it  is  rather  easy  to  obtain  high  notes,  but  no  one 
should  employ  them  very  much.  Always  and  all  the  time 
remember  that  the  middle  voice  is  the  main  and  prin- 
cipal part  of  every  voice;  the  extremely  low  and  high 
notes  are  only  for  occasional  use.  There  is  no  special 
value  or  virtue  in  a  very  high  or  very  low  voice.  The 
middle  range  is  always  best  and  that  is  the  range 


LESSON  XIX 


15 


'  wherein  you  can  obtain  the  tongue  attack  compara- 
tively easily  and  in  not  too  long  a  time. 

First  whisper  "ha,"  ''ha,"  "ha,"  very  low;  then 
medium  and  then  gradually  higher.  Notice  the  whisper 
sounds  very  high  and  thin,  but  clear  and  not  breathy. 

'Never  ''breathy,"  remember  that. 

You  will  gradually  feel  that  the  breath  or  tone  tries 
to  rub  through  the  upper  part  of  the  palate,  like  a  thin 
white  line  of  breath  all  along  the  roof  of  the  mouth. 
The  throat  must  remain  free.  Notice  that  neither  the 
chest  nor  abdomen  move  perceptibly  until  the  breath 
is  exhausted. 

1.  Whisper  the  sound  of  "F,"  fifth  line.  Gradu- 
ally change  this  whisper  into  a  tone.  Do  not  try  to 
make  it  strong,  merely  get  the  pitch.  Do  the  same  to 
"F"  sharp,  "G,"  "A"  flat  and  "A." 

2.  Having  caught  on  to  this  attack,  do  not  whisper 
first,  but  start  the  above  tones  at  once,  at  the  same 
place  where  you  whispered,  expect  only  a  light,  thin 
tone. 

3.  First  whisper  "one,"  "two,"  "three,"  etc.,  then 
as  in  1  and  2,  go  from  whisper  to  tone  and  later  start 
counts  without  whisper,  but  sing  them. 

4.  Proceed  in  the  same  way,  but  now  select  sen- 
tences. First  whisper  them.  Start  the  whisper  low, 
then  higher  and  higher.  In  the  same  way  speak  or  sing 
the  following  lines,  by  L.  H.  Bailey,  in  Countryside 
Magazine: 

One  day  A  sparrow 

I  went  Chirped 

To  the  fields  to  rest.  As  it  dropped  to  its  nest. 

The  sun  And  my  soul 

Hung  low  Had  found 

On  the  rim  qf  the  West.     The  boon  of  its  quest. 


16 


LESSON  XIX 


For  instance,  start  the  first  line  low,  the  second 
higher,  the  third  still  higher,  and  so  on.  The  singers 
should  first  speak  the  lines  exactly  like  the  speakers 
and  only  after  they  have  learned  to  speak  higher  and 
higher  should  they  sing,  and  when  singing  be  very 
careful  that  each  syllable  is  as  distinct  in  singing  as  it 
was  in  speaking. 

All  through  these  lessons  the  singer  has  a  double 
task.  He  must  learn  to  apply  the  lessons  first  to 
speaking  and  later  to  singing.  A  singer  should  be 
both  orator  and  a  singer. 

SINGING 

The  Six  Songs — {Continued) 

1.  In  the  song,  ''Throw  Me  a  Rose,"  the  entire 
first  part  should  be  sung  with  tongue  attack.  The  sec- 
ond part,  "Come  Away,"  may  employ  the  palate  attack, 
especially  all  the  notes  from  EtoG.  The  chorus,  of 
course,  should  be  sung  with  tongue  attack. 

2.  'That  Sweet  Story  of  Old,"  use  tongue  attack, 
excepting  the  passage  "as  lambs  to  His  fold,"  which  can 
be  made  very  effective  in  the  palate  attack,  especially 
if  you  retard  somewhat.  The  last  passage,  tongue  at- 
tack. 

3.  "Beauty's  Eyes,"  use  the  tongue  attack  from 
the  first  up  to  and  including  the  words,  "For  straight 
and  sweet  my  pathway  lies,"  after  that  employ  the 
palate  attack,  if  you  cannot  use  tongue  attack.  But  at 
the  words,  "While  I  gaze  in  your  dear  eyes"  use  glottis 
attack,  sing  slowly  and  emphatically,  the  same  for  the 
other  verses. 

4.  "A  May  Morning."  All  of  this  should  be  sung 
with  the  tongue  attack,  except  with  the  last  "Come 
out."  This  might  just  as  well  be  sung  with  the  palate 
attack;  if  you  want  to  sing  the  high  notes,  it  will  sound 
very  effective,  even  if  the  tones  are  not  strong. 


LESSON  XIX 


17 


5.  "Love,  Here  Is  My  Heart."  Tongue  attack  for 
the  entire  first  page,  after  which  as  follows: 


''Love,  here  is  my  heart"  Tongue  Attack 

''One  rose  for  your  hair,  yours  if  you  keep  it  today," 

 Glottis  Attack 

"Yours,  if  you  throw  it  away,  whether  you  now  tear 

it  apart"  Glottis  Attack 

"Love,  here  is  my  heart"  Palate  Attack 

"One  rose  for  your  hair,  etc."  Glottis  Attack 

"Whether  you  now  tear  it  apart"  Tongue  Attack 

"Or  choose  it  to  wear"  Glottis  Attack 

"Something  to"  Glottis  Attack 

"Kiss  or  to  kill,  etc."  Palate  or  tongue 

The  second  verse  should  be  sung  in  a  similar  way; 
for  high  notes  use  palate,  for  medium  notes  the  tongue, 


and  for  low  notes  the  glottis  attack. 

The  conclusion,  "Or  forget,  here  is  my  heart,"  should 
be  studied  very  carefully  and  practiced  first  as  a  very 
thin  and  high  whisper;  only  after  you  succeed  with  the 
whispered  words  should  you  sing  them.  The  effect  will 
be  very  fine  if  you  take  the  high  notes.  But  if  you  pre- 
fer the  low  notes  in  this  passage,  use  the  glottis,  but 
sing  the  words  slowly  and  emphatically. 

6.  "Because  I  Love  You,  Dear" — by  Dorothy 
Foster,  is  a  good  test  for  the  tongue  attack  throughout. 
If  you  have  learned  to  drop  the  rear  part  of  the  tongue 
easily  and  loosely  enough,  you  cannot  help  having  suc- 
cess with  this  song.  Almost  anybody,  even  if  they  have 
never  sung  before,  should  be  able  to  sing  this  after 
two  or  three  trials  and  make  a  success  of  it. 

Other  songs  will  follow  later  in  the  course.  The 
ability  to  swell,  to  sing  loud  and  soft,  will  also  be 
taught  and  applied  to  the  songs  later  on. 


18  LESSON  XIX 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XIX 

1.  What  is  the  physiological  cause  of  continued 
hoarseness  and  huskiness  and  weak  throat? 

2.  What  is  the  effect  of  positive  energy? 

3.  What  is  the  effect  of  negative  energy? 

4.  Why  do  many  persons  stammer? 

5.  How  can  you  quickly  obtain  low  tones? 

6.  How  can  you  quickly  obtain  high  tones? 

7.  Which  of  the  three  attacks  taught  is  easiest  for 
you  now? 

8.  Can  you  speak  or  sing  low  with  ease?  ' 

9.  Can  you  speak  or  sing  high  with  ease? 

10.  Which  of  the  songs  (if  you  are  a  singer)  is  most 
suited  to  your  voice? 


LESSON  XX 


THE  LAW  OF  MECHANICS 
WHY  VOICE  STUDENTS  FAIL 

\  Most  students  fail  because  they  lack  an  exact  and 
scientific  method  of  instruction.  It  is  known  that  by 
lowering  the  larynx  the  voice  can  be  made  stronger, 
and  that  by  raising  the  larynx  higher  tones  can  be 
reached.  In  neither  case,  however,  are  the  tones  really 
good.  The  lower  tones  become  rough  and  throaty, 
the  higher  tones  shrill  or  thin.  The  habit  of  speaking 
or  singing  entirely  from  the  vocal  chords  (glottis  attack) 
is  also  bad,  because  in  this  case  the  vocal  chords  rub 
against  each  other  and  become  inflamed. 

Good  breathing  is  of  great  value,  but  the  breath 
can  only  set  the  vocal  chords  into  vibration ;  nothing 
more.  In  a  correct  vocal  attack  the  breath  is  instantly 
converted  into  tone.  The  much  advised  humming  of 
the  tone,  or  focusing  it  to  the  front  of  face,  is  of  no 
permanent  value.  It  merely  deceives  the  singer  for  a 
time.  No  vocal  device,  of  whatever  kind,  can  possibly 
assist  the  student  in  his  search  for  a  perfect  voice. 

Nature  provided  the  only  means  whereby  the 
needed  stretching  of  the  entire  vocal  material  can  be 
automatically  accomplished  without  causing  the  singer 
any  undue  exertion.  The  condition  ensuring  such  a 
'  happy  result  is  that  the  vocal  organ  must  be  equally 
strong  in  all  its  parts. 

When  we  consider  such  triumphs  of  modern  me- 
chanics as  the  building  of  the  Panama  Canal,  the  St. 
Gothard  Tunnel,  or  the  luxurious  ocean  steamers,  and 
the  aeroplanes,  the  first  question  which  suggests  itself 
is  how  were  they  created?  Naturally,  first  in  the  brain 
of  the  engineer;  secondly,  they  were  reasoned  out,  de- 
signed and  sketched  on  paper,  and-not  until  then  could 

1 


2 


LESSON  XX 


the  practical  work  be  started.  If  the  engineer's  meas- 
urements and  judgment  were  correct,  then  his  theory 
must  prove  correct  in  practice. 

Just  so  in  the  vocal  apparatus.  When  all  that  is 
necessary  to  make  a  perfect  voice  is  understood,  then 
clear  thinking  and  sound  reasoning  will  be  sufficient 
to  show  the  way  toward  perfection,  and  practice  will 
demonstrate  that  this  reasoning  was.  correct. 

I  have  now  given  all  the  details  of  the  mechanism 
which  operates  in  voice.  If  all  these  details  work 
together  in  unison,  the  voice  will  be  the  best  that  is 
possible  to  the  individual.  If  not,  then  we  must  find 
out  wherein  one  or  more  of  the  details  failed  to  operate, 
and  correct  our  mistake.  No  other  way  has  any  chance 
of  success. 

Only  the  muscles  from  the  tongue  to  the  hyoid 
bone.  Figure  30,  need  concern  us  in  the  search  of  equal 
forces,  for  the  following  reasons:  First,  these  two  pairs 
of  muscles  are  located  in  the  center  of  the  vocal  organ. 
They  are  attached  indirectly  to  the  palate  above  and 
directly  to  the  larynx  below.  Therefore,  they  naturally 
pull  both  ends  toward  each  other.  Secondly,  these 
tongue-to-hyoid-bone  muscles  are  the  only  ones  in  the 
entire  vocal  organ  which  are  entirely  free;  that  is,  are 
nowhere  attached  to  fixed  bones  like  the  other  muscles. 
Also  they  have  a  separate  nerve  supply.  Thirdly,  be- 
cause these  muscles  are  free,  they  can  be  brought  under 
the  voluntary  control  of  the  singer  or  speaker.  If  he 
uses  these  muscles,  the  tone  will  be  large  and  beautiful. 
If  he  omits  them,  the  tone  will  be  thin  and  lack  the 
necessary  quality. 

Although  the  above  facts  have  for  some  time  been 
known  to  anatomists  and  available  to  singers  as  well, 
yet  both  have  failed  to  grasp  their  importance^as 


LESSON  XX 


3 


related  to  the  voice.  The  anatomist  naturally  thought 
of  them  only  in  relation  to  medical  service  or  the  oper- 
ating table;  the  singer  and  musician  concerned  himself 
very  little,  if  at  all,  about  the  vocal  anatomy.  Firstly, 
because  the  musical  temperament  is  usually  opposed  to 
a  scientific  analysis,  dealing  preferably  with  emotion. 
Secondly,  he  had  been  taught  that  if  he  thought  of 
the  vocal  instrument  he  would  become  self-conscious. 
He  was  told  to  think  in  tones,  and  that  then  the  instru- 
ment would  take  care  of  the  rest.  The  real  reason  why 
the  control  and  development  of  all  these  important 
muscles  did  not  suggest  itself  to  the  singer  was  because 
these  tongue  muscles  cannot  be  felt. 

It  may  seem  strange  that  this  group  of  muscles, 
whose  importance  cannot  be  overrated,  should  not  also 
be  strongly  felt.  But  because  these  muscles  are  nowhere 
attached  to  a  firm  bone,  they  leave  no  sense  of  exertion 
or  contraction  behind  them,  especially  when,  as  is  the 
case  in  singers  with  exceptionally  fine  voices,  these 
muscles  are  almost  abnormally  strong.  This  is  also  the 
reason  why  good  singers  and  speakers  feel  no  exertion, 
why  the  action  of  the  vocal  organ  seems  to  become 
freer  the  longer  they  sing  or  speak.  This  freedom  and 
strength  of  the  tongue  muscles  accounts  also  for  the 
free  tone  and  the  easy  execution  of  the  most  difficult 
passages,  as  well  as  the  many  shadings  and  special 
effects  employed  by  the  great  singers. 

Now,  examining  Figure  30  again,  we  may  logically 
deduct  certain  mechanical  facts.  Suppose  that  the  three 
pairs  of  muscles  which  grow  out  of  the  breastbone  (No. 
6)  and  the  collar  bone  (No.  7)  into  the  hyoid  bone 
(No.  5),  and  the  thyroid  cartilage  (No.  2  A-B),  and 
overlapping  the  cricoid  cartilage  (No.  4),  have  alto- 
gether a  contractile  power  of,  say  25  pounds.  Then,  to 
offset  their  downward  pulling  force,  we  must  have  the 
equal  of  25  pounds  of  upward  pulling  force.   Now  the 


4 


LESSON  XX 


palato-pharyngeus  muscle,  which  pulls  the  thyroid 
cartilage  upward,  is  considerably  thinner  than  either 
of  the  three  downward-pulling  muscles.  Also  it  is  too 
long  and  too  far  from  the  object  it  is  to  move,  and  for 
these  reasons  it  cannot  be  as  strong  as  either  of  the 
opposing  muscles.  Now  we  have  the  two  up-pulling 
tongue  muscles  (No.  10,  A-B)  to  supply  the  missing 
power.  It  follows  that  these  tongue  muscles  must  be  of 
exceptional  strength.  Two  facts,  however,  operate 
against  these  muscles:  one  is  that  they  are  nowhere 
attached  to  a  firm  bone ;  the  other  that  singers  are  not 
even  aware  of  the  existence  or  importance  of  these 
muscles;  hence  the  singer  cannot  help  himself. 

THE  REMEDY 

When  these  tongue  muscles  are  strong  enough  to 
supply  the  necessary  up-pulling  power,  they  set  the 
entire  vocal  organ  in  motion.  The  vocal  chords  are  then 
automatically  stretched  and  singing  becomes  a  pleasuhe. 
This  is  the  case  with  the  great  singers  who,  through 
natural  inheritance,  or  for  other  reasons,  possess  excep- 
tionally strong  tongue  muscles.  But  those  whose  voices 
are  not  all  that  they  desire,  may  now  develop  these 
muscles  until  they  are  just  as  strong  as  those  of  the 
great  singers  and  thereby  acquire  a  perfect  voice.  Since 
these  muscles  are  comparatively  easy  to  get  at,  they 
can  be  trained  and  developed.  Practical  tests  on 
hundreds  of  students  have  proven  in  every  case  that 
this  theory  is  not  only  correct,  but  absolutely  infallible. 
This  places  voice  study  on  an  exact  scientific  basis  and 
solves  a  problem  which  has  troubled  voice  teachers  for 
over  three  hundred  years. 

THE  CONTRARY  PROOF 

So  far  it  has  been  my  aim  to  furnish  positive  proof 
that  the  vocal  organ  must  be  perfected  before  one  can 


LESSON  XX 


5 


have  a  perfect  voice.  It  has  also  been  shown  that  it  is 
the  tongue  muscles  which  cause  all  the  trouble,  and 
that  when  these  are  strengthened  and  developed  a  per- 
fect voice  becomes  an  assured  fact.  A  still  further  proof 
will  now  be  given. 

If  the  vocal  organ  is  deficient,  the  voice  cannot  be 
the  best  or  nearly  the  best  that  is  possible  to  the  indi- 
vidual. He  may  sing,  but  a  close  observer  will  notice 
one  or  more  of  the  following  defects  in  his  voice: 

The  tones  may  be  good  up  to  a  certain  range,  usually 
about  F  on  the  fifth  line  for  high  voices,  about  C  or  D 
below  that  for  low  voices.  After  that  the  tones  become 
either  soft  and  thin  or  else  loud,  piercing  and  hard,  or 
the  compass  will  extend  no  further  than  the  tones  above 
mentioned.  Such  a  compass  is  entirely  too  limited  for 
a  successful  career. 

Soft  tones  should  be  employed  for  special  effects 
only;  they  are  unsuited  for  normal,  public  singing. 
Loud,  piercing  or  hard  tones  are,  of  course,  always  of- 
fensive. 

HOW  DOES  THE  SINGER  REALIZE  HIS 
FAULTS? 

Naturally,  a  singer  realizes  first  in  a  musical  sense 
that  some  of  his  tones  are  not  so  good  as  others,  or 
that  some  tones  require  much  greater  effort  than  others. 
He  may,  indeed,  get  relief  by  employing  special  means, 
such  as  greater  breath  pressure,  or  focusing  the  voice 
toward  the  head,  or  by  the  singing  of  other  vowels  than 
the  normal  ''aa;"  but  at  best  these  means  help  only 
temporarily.  In  the  end  he  is  worse  off  than  before, 
because  he  has  added  new  faults  to  those  he  previously 
possessed.  But  there  are  physical  signs  which  tell  him 
unmistakably  whether  his  tones  are  correct  or  not. 
For  instance,  if  on  high  tones,  the  tongue  is  drawn  far 


6 


LESSON  XX 


back  from  the  teeth  and  rises  in  the  back,  and  more 
especially  if  the  tongue  becomes  hard,  it  is  an  infallible 
sign  that  his  vocal  organ  is  imperfect.  Again  if  the 
tip  of  the  tongue  braces  itself  against  the  front  teeth,  his 
organ,  while  reasonably  correct,  is  still  far  from  being 
perfect.  If  his  tongue  sinks  down  in  the  throat,  if  it  is 
flabby,  or  very  loose,  it  is  a  sign  that  the  all-important 
muscles  are  very  weak.  If  the  jaw  becomes  stiff  or  the 
palate  rises  or  spreads  apart  in  the  back  of  the  mouth, 
the  organ  is  imperfect. 

But  if  his  tongue  rises  a  very  little  all  along  in  a 
straight  line  from  tip  to  back,  or  if  the  tongue  becomes 
somewhat  thick,  and  most  especially,  if  he  sings  with 
utmost  ease  throughout  the  scale  on  every  vowel,  his 
vocal  organ  is  sure  to  be  right.  Such  a  favorable  con- 
dition is  rarely  to  be  met  with;  not  many  singers  ap- 
proach this  ideal  condition,  but  if  they  knew  where 
the  weakness  was  to  be  found,  they  could  correct  it, 
and  then  their  tones  would  soon  become  freer  and 
better.  Often  a  few  months'  practice  will  develop  a 
voice  to  undreamed  of  beauty,  power  and  compass. 

MUSCLES    WHICH    INTERFERE    WITH  OR 
ENTIRELY  PREVENT  THE  CORRECT 
CORD-STRETCHING  EFFORT 

It  can  be  stated  with  absolute  truth  that  voices 
would  be  much  better,  and  there  would  be  more  good 
voices,  if  the  singer,  at  the  beginning  of  his  career, 
would,  physiologically  speaking,  employ  only  those 
muscles  which  are  essential  to  a  good  voice.  If  one 
begins  right  and  continues  to  use  the  correct  vocal 
mechanism,  it  will  gain  in  strength  every  day  and  his 
voice  will  become  more  beautiful  and  the  compass  will 
increase.    This  is  the  case  with  those  great  singers, 


LESSON  XX 


7 


who  preserve  their  voices  to  old  age.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  the  correct  mechanism  is  not  under  the  singer's 
control,  there  is  a  constant  temptation  to  employ  other 
muscles,  to  temporarily  force  the  voice,  and  these,  in 
the  end,  will  destroy  it. 

Suppose  the  voice  is  naturally  attractive,  but  too 
light  and  soft  for  public  use.  The  singer's  natural 
instinct  would  be  to  make  the  voice  larger  by  a  greater 
exertion.  Now  the  legitimate,  correct  vocal  muscles 
cannot,  as  has  been  explained,  be  forced.  Therefore,  if 
he  exerts  himself,  he  is  not  using  the  correct  vocal 
muscles  at  all,  but  others  which  lead  him  astray, 
though,  temporarily,  they  help  to  give  his  tones  greater 
power. 

There  are  several  muscles  to  the  hyoid  bone,  other 
than  those  already  described,  which  can  obstruct  the 
cord-stretching: 

First,  by  preventing  the  upward-downward  tilting 
of  the  hyoid  bone,  which  would  also  prevent  the  thyroid 
cartilage  from  being  tilted  downward  in  front; 

Second,  by  drawing  the  hyoid  bone  and  the  larynx 
forward,  which  again  would  interfere  with  the  natural 
cord-stretching. 


^.  The  first  fault  is  caused  by  the  digastric  muscle 
(the  muscle  employed  when  chewing).  It  runs  from 
the  cranium  to  the  hyoid  bone  and  the  chin.  It  prevents 
the  tilting  of  the  hyoid  bone  and  the  thyroid  cartilage, 
because  it  pulls  them  straight  upward  and  backward. 
Two  other  muscles  also  oppose  the  correct  vocal  cord- 
stretching  in  a  similar,  but  less  degree;  they  are  the 
stylo-hyoid  muscles,  from  the  skull  to  the  hyoid  bone, 
and  the  mylo-hyoid  ixiuscle,  from  the  lower  jaw  to  the 
hyoid  bone. 


8 


LESSON  XX 


The  second  fault  is  caused  by  the  powerful  geni- 
hyoid  muscle  (Fig.  44,  marked  IV).  It  is  attached  to  the 
lower  part  of  the  chin  and  runs  to  the  front  part  of  the 
hyoid  bone.  It,  therefore,  can  draw  the  hyoid  bone, 
and  with  it  the  entire  larynx,  forward,  but  with  most 
injurious  effect  to  the  voice. 

All  these  muscles  belong  to  the  lower  jaw.  They  are 
very  strong,  because  they  were  designed  to  open  and 
close  the  mouth.  These  muscles  are  still  further  aided 
by  the  muscles  which  pull  the  jaw  upward.  All  these 
muscles  combined  possess  very  great  power  and  by 
their  contraction  they  interfere  greatly  with  the  true 
vocal  muscles;  that  is,  with  the  entire  muscular  appara- 
tus which  moves  the  larynx  and  stretches  the  vocal 
cords. 

The  temptation  to  use  these  chewing  muscles  is 
very  great.  We  associate  in  all  physical  efforts  a  cor- 
responding muscular  exertion.  If  a  heavy  weight  is  to 
be  lifted,  we  instinctively  determine  upon  a  correspond- 
ing effort  which  we  expect  to  feel  in  our  arms  and 
shoulders.  So,  also,  the  singer  judges  that  a  louder 
tone  demands  a  greater  effort,  and  naturally  enough, 
thinks  that  he  must  feel  a  greater  effort.  And  just 
here  is  the  great  danger  of  using  the  jaw  muscles.  They 
are  strong  and  ever  ready  to  help;  besides,  they  at 
once  change  the  tone  and  deceive  the  singer  into 
believing  that  he  is  right. 

Since  these  muscles  have  such  a  great  power  to 
excite  sensation,  many  suppose  that  the  jaw  muscles 
must  be  kept  absolutely  relaxed  and  loose.  This  is 
natural  enough,  but  in  relaxing  the  jaw  muscles  he  also 
relaxes  the  entire  throat,  and  in  so  doing,  he  relaxes 
the  essential  cord-stretching  muscles  also,  since  he 
cannot  differentiate  between  them.    Now  when  the 


LESSON  XX 


9 


essential  cord-stretching  muscles  are  relaxed,  the  vocal 
chords  must  also  relax;  that  is,  they  surrender  their 
enlarging,  condensing  effort;  thereby  making  an  artistic 
voice  impossible.  Only  feeble  or  breathy  tones  are 
possible  when  the  vocal  muscles  are  relaxed. 

Either  of  these  two  conditions  is  the  almost  uni- 
versal rule  among  singers.  The  exception  is  hailed 
and  worshipped  as  a  star.  If  voice  study  were  rightly 
understood,  stars  would  be  the  rule,  and  failures  the 
exception. 

In  correct  singing,  that  is,  when  the  tongue  muscles 
are  trained  and  made  strong,  there  is  a  very  powerful 
contraction  of  the  true  vocal  muscles.  But  these  con- 
tractions are  not  felt  as  an  effort  or  an  exertion.  In 
fact,  there  is  no  strain  anywhere. 

Every  one  of  the  tongue  muscles  described  in  the 
previous  lessons  has  a  functional  share  in  the  whole 
combination,  while  every  one  of  the  jaw  muscles  inter- 
feres with  the  true  artistic  voice. 

Mechanical  calculations  alone  show  that  only  the 
hyo-glossi  and  chondro-glossi  muscles,  which  extend 
upward  and  forward  from  the  hyoid  bone  into  the 
tongue,  are  legitimate  agents,  for  only  these  can  assist 
the  sterno-hyoid  muscles  (from  hyoid  bone  to  breast- 
bone) in  tilting  the  hyoid  bone  and  the  thyroid  cartilage 
downward  upon  the  cricoid  joint  to  stretch  the  vocal 
chords.  These  first-named  muscles  pull  the  rear  horns  of 
the  hyoid  bone  upward  at  the  same  time  that  the  sterno- 
hyoid pull  the  front  of  the  hyoid  bone  downward.  Of 
course,  this  action  also  tilts  the  larynx  downward,  being 
assisted  by  the  sterno-thyroid  muscles  (from  thyroid 
cartilage  to  breastbone),  provided  the  cricoid  bone  is 
held  firmly  against  the  spine,  which  is  always  the  case 
in  the  correct  action  as  here  given. 


10 


LESSON  XX 


This  fortunate  division  of  the  right  and  wrong  mus- 
cles into  two  classes,  tongue  muscles  and  jaw  muscles, 
make  vocal  study  an  infallible,  exact  science,  which 
can  be  demonstrated  with  mathematical  certainty. 

One  more  fact  remains  to  be  mentioned;  that  is, 
when  all  the  true  vocal  muscles  act  powerfully  together, 
a  feeling  of  openness  or  looseness  is  experienced  by 
the  singer,  leading  him  to  believe  that  all  muscles  are 
relaxed.  This  feeling  is  correct,  but  the  inference  that 
the  muscles  are  relaxed  is  a  mistake.  A  relaxed  muscle 
means  a  dead  muscle,  without  life  and  energy.  Such  a 
muscle  cannot  do  any  work.  But  a  stiff  or  tense  mus- 
cle is  also  useless,  for  it  is  held  too  tight  to  perform  any 
other  office  than  that  of  stiffening  itself.  Neither  a 
relaxed  muscle  nor  a  tense  one  is  of  any  use  in  voice. 
What  is  needed  is  a  flexible,  strong  muscle,  that  can 
contract  with  great  rapidity  and,  because  of  its  strength, 
also  with  great  ease. 

One  needs  only  to  look  at  a  superior  athlete  or 
acrobat  for  an  illustration  of  flexibility  combined  with 
muscular  strength.  Again,  if  a  pianist  were  to  relax 
his  fingers,  there  would  be  no  strength,  consequently 
only  a  feeble,  weak  tone;  but  if  his  fingers  are  stiff, 
there  can  be  no  rapidity  of  movement.  If,  however,  his 
muscles  are  flexible,  and  through  practice  are  made 
strong,  there  will  be  no  apparent  effort,  even  for  the 
biggest  tone,  and  his  movements  will  still  be  rapid. 
So  also,  if  the  correct  vocal  muscles  are  made  strong, 
there  will  be  no  stiffness,  and  certainly  no  relaxation. 

Thereisonly  one  way  to  develop  a  muscle's  strength, 
and  that  is  by  the  muscle's  own  effort  to  contract 
against  resistance.  Many  years  of  study  and  experi- 
ment upon  myself  and  hundreds  of  students,  among 
whom  are  many  who  are  now  in  the  front  ranks  of  their 


LESSON  XX 


11 


profession,  in  the  leading  opera  companies  of  both 
Europe  and  America,  as  concert  singers,  actors  and 
voice  teachers,  have  proven  not  only  that  this  method 
is  correct,  but  that  it  is  the  only  possible  way  by  which 
the  student  can  develop  his  voice  and  bring  it  to  perfec- 
tion. 

BREATHING 

It  may  be  assumed  that  those  singers  or  speakers 
who,  by  nature  or  by  the  study  and  practice  of  this 
method,  sing  only  with  the  action  of  the  true  vocal 
muscles,  the  correct  method  of  breathing  will  gradually 
and  instinctively  assert  itself.  Even  if  this  should  not 
happen,  the  tones  will  still  be  beautiful  and  large;  but 
for  the  purpose  of  smooth  phrasing  and  easy  diction, 
and  still  more  for  the  purpose  of  tone  shading  and 
expression  and  other  special  effects,  correct  breathing 
is  essential. 

Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  establish  differ- 
ent systems  of  breathing,  but  they  are  all  more  or  less 
based  tipon  opinions  and  experiences  of  singers  and 
teachers  who  believed  that  their  system  was  the  best 
possible.  Some  good  has  been  accomplished  by  these 
means,  but  such  systems  could  not  cover  all  points  and 
cases,  because  in  the  first  place  the  systems  were  not 
written  out  in  the  exact  and  scientific  manner  which 
alone  can  explain  and  direct  the  correct  way  of  inhaling 
and  exhaling  breath.  Furthermore,  it  requires  not  only 
a  general  knowledge  of  physiology  to  establish  the  use 
of  the  true  breathing  muscles,  but  also  a  most  pains- 
takingly minute  search  and  long  experience,  which  is 
generally  acquired  only  by  the  specialist. 

The  confusion  which  still  exists  in  regard  to  breath- 
ing is  best  illustrated  by  referring  to  the  differences  of 
opinion  in  regard  to  abdominal,  chest  or  diaphragmatic 
breathing.    As  a  matter  of  physiological  fact,  neither 


12 


LESSON  XX 


one  alone  is  correct  or  even  possible.  We  do  not,  for 
instance,  inhale  at  all,  nor  is  the  breath  ever  expelled. 

To  inhale  the  breath  would  take  up  too  much  time. 
It  could  not  take  place  as  instantaneously  as  is  required 
for  the  minute  pauses  between  phrases  in  singing  and 
speaking.  What  we  really  do  is  to  create  a  vacuum- 
which  is  at  once  filled  by  the  air.  This  vacuum  is  created 
by  a  set  of  muscles  specially  adapted  for  this  purpose. 
Then  to  convert  this  air  or  breath  into  tone,  an  entirely 
different  set  of  muscles  is  put  into  action.  These  two 
separate  functions  govern  the  chest,  diaphragm  and 
abdomen  so  that  each  has  a  certain  share  in  the  work 
accomplished.  No  single  one  of  these  predominate  in 
correct  breathing. 

Although  the  breathing  organs  are  a  most  necessary 
and  indispensable  part  of  the  entire  vocal  apparatus, 
yet  that  apparatus  is  by  nature  divided  into  the  vocal 
organ  from  breast  and  collar  bone  upward,  and  the 
breathing  organ  from  these  bones  downward.  So  it  was 
deemed  best  not  to  overburden  the  student  with  too 
much  material  and  perhaps,  in  the  end,  confuse  him. 

The  chief  end  and  aim  of  art  should  be  to  give  joy, 
to  arouse  noble  sentiments,  by  speaking  to  the  heart 
first.  In  music  this  is  done  by  beautiful  sounds,  there- 
fore the  singer's  object  should  be  to  develop  his  voice 
so  that  all  the  beauty  and  nobility  which  exists  in  such 
superabundance  about  us,  can  be  set  free.  Only  after 
such  beauty  of  tone  is  at  the  command  of  the  singer 
will  the  study  of  songs  become  of  any  value.  Then 
intelligence  will  be  added  to  emotion,  and  the  two 
united  into  one  perfect  work  of  art.  Voice  is  the  result 
of  physical  conditions,  very  much  as  in  any  other  musi- 
cal instruments.  It  is  subject  to  similar  laws,  and  in  the 
case  of  tone  quality,  to  identically  the  same  laws. 


V 


LESSON  XX  13 

In  the  lessons  on  the  'Theory  of  Sound"  it  will  be 
shown  that  tone  quality  is  dependent  upon  the  percep- 
tion by  the  ear  of  the  overtones  arising  out  of  the  funda- 
mental tone.  But  the  overtones  cannot  be  strong  enough 
or  numerous  enough  unless  the  primary  or  fundamental 
tone  is  strong,  hence  the  fuller  the  tone  the  more 
numerous  are  the  overtones  and  because  of  this  the 
finer  and  sweeter  is  the  quality  of  the  tone  to  the  ear. 

Now  in  order  to  gain  a  larger  volume  of  tone,  we 
must  utilize  all  the  vocal  material  which  we  possess. 
That  means,  that  all  the  muscles  which  constitute  the 
vocal  chords  must  unite  and  condense  into  practically 
a  single  chain  of  muscles.  In  addition  to  this  we  must 
be  able  to  stretch  this  chain  of  muscles.  This  can  be 
done  only  by  the  external  laryngeal  muscles,  and  of 
these  again  only  the  tongue  muscles  need  to  be  trained 
and  developed.  This  reduces  voice  study  down  to  a 
few  simple  exercises. 

These  simple  exercises  gradually  change  the  weak 
muscles  into  strong  muscles,  and  as  soon  as  the  full 
strength  is  acquired,  the  full  beauty  and  power  of  the 
voice  is  possible,  and  to  the  author's  positive  knowledge 
this  voice  will  be  one  of  glorious  beauty. 

EXERCISES  TO  LESSON  XX 
THE  HYOID  BONE 

The  hyoid  bone  (Fig.  30,  No.  5)  if  of  great  impor- 
tance, not  only  in  tensioning  the  vocal  chords,  but  also  in 
other  ways.  This  small  bone  furnishes  further  proof 
of  the  right  and  wrong  way  of  speaking  and  singing. 
To  this  bone  are  connected  not  less  than  nine  different 
muscles,  of  which  four  move  it  downward  and  back- 
ward and  the  others  move  it  upward.  These  muscles 
lead  up  from  the  breastbone  (Fig.  30,  No.  6)  and  collar 


14 


LESSON  XX 


bone  (Fig.  30,  No.  7)  to  the  hyoid  bone  and  from  it 
to  the  chin  (Fig.  30,  No.  11),  the  tongue  (Fig.  30,  No. 
12)  and  styloid  bone  (Fig.  30,  No.  13).  These  muscles 
should  so  balance  each  other  as  to  hold  the  larynx  in 
the  natural  position  for  every  tone,  from  the  lowest 
to  the  highest  and  from  the  softest  piano  to  the  loudest 
forte.  Of  course  this  applies  to  the  public  speaker  as 
well  as  to  the  singer,  for  in  either  case  the  more  power 
there  is,  the  less  efforts  will  be  required. 

HYOID  BONE  UPWARD:  The  chin  and  throat 
normally  form  a  right  angle  and  in  this  angle  is  located 
the  hyoid  bone.  It  is  shaped  like  a  horse  shoe,  having 
a  thick  circular  body  in  front,  from  which  two  horns 
point  backward  and  upward.  Place  the  soft  part  of 
your  thumb  under  the  front  of  the  hyoid  bone  and  try 
to  swallow.  You  will  find  that  the  bone  is  suddenly 
drawn  upward  and  as  the  larynx  and  hyoid  bone  always 
move  together,  the  larynx  is  also  forced  upward  out 
of  its  natural  position.  By  this  action  the  down-draw- 
ing muscles  are  elongated,  made  thinner  and  weakened, 
and  because  the  resistance  is  removed,  a  tension  of  the 
vocal  cords  becomes  impossible.  It  is  therefore  evident 
that  a  raised  larynx  is  injurious  to  voice. 

HYOID  BONE  DOWNWARD:  Again  place  your 
thumb  against  the  front  of  the  hyoid  bone  and  yawn 
silently.  You  will  find  that  the  bone  is  drawn  far  down 
and  with  it  the  whole  larynx.  In  this  case  the  muscles 
which  draw  the  hyoid  bone  upward  are  eliminated  and 
those  drawing  it  downward  are  shortened  and  weak- 
ened. Finding  no  resistance,  they  can  exert  no  strength, 
therefore  a  tension  of  the  vocal  cords  is  again  impos- 
sible. From  this  you  can  see  that  a  lowered  larynx  is 
also  injurious. 

The  following  mistake  is  even  more  injurious  than 


LESSON  XX 


15 


either  of  the  above:  Place  the  thumb  under  the  corner 
of  the  front  of  the  chin  so  that  it  presses  strongly  up- 
ward, then  make  the  jawbone  very  stiff,  almost  as 
though  you  were  cracking  a  hard  nut  with  the  back 
teeth.  An  unusually  strong  pressure  on  the  thumb  will 
be  noticeable  and  if,  during  this  pressure,  you  touch  the 
hyoid  bone  with  the  other  hand  you  will  find  that  it  is 
drawn  forward  and  with  it  the  larynx.  In  the  first  and 
second  examples  a  tension  of  the  vocal  cords  was  im- 
possible. In  the  third,  the  cords  were  in  a  very  decided 
state  of  tension,  but  a  tension  that  was  forced  and 
unnatural.  The  person  who  allows  this  strained  condi- 
tion of  the  jaw  muscles  to  continue,  pays  for  it  by  the 
loss  of  his  voice.  From  this  you  can  see  that  it  is  very 
injurious  to  push  the  larynx  forward. 

These  examples  furnish  incontestable  proofs  that 
neither  the  tongue,  palate  nor  larynx  should  move  dur- 
ing voice  exercises.  If  these  parts  move  it  is  because 
the  hyoid  muscle  is  weak  and  it  follows  therefore,  that 
the  more  you  strengthen  this  muscle,  the  finer  and 
larger  your  voice  will  become. 

Those  who  have  taken  voice  lessons  will  remember 
that  they  were  told  by  their  teachers  that  they  should 
place  the  tone  forward  or  direct  it  against  the  hard 
palate,  so  as  to  utilize  the  resonance  chambers.  If  you 
try  to  direct  your  tone  in  this  way  you  will  invariably 
raise  the  larynx  and  in  time  damage  your  voice.  It  is 
true  that  the  good  tone  must  be  felt  forward  and  when 
you  feel  the  beat  of  the  tongue  with  each  tone  you  will 
find  that  the  tone  is  felt  forward.  If  your  tone  is  cor- 
rect it  will  automatically  place  itself,  but  if  you  try  to 
make  it  come  forward,  your  voice  will  suffer. 

While  it  is  possible  to  improve  one's  natural  voice 
somewhat  in  a  short  time,  as  the  previous  lessons  have 


16 


LESSON  XX 


shown  you,  and  is  proven  by  the  very  many  letters 
which  have  been  received  from  grateful  students,  yet 
the  radical  improvement,  the  voice  of  the  great  orators 
and  singers,  can.  only  be  established  on  a  permanent 
basis  through  the  strengthening  of  the  isolated  hyo- 
glossi  muscle  and  through  no  other  means  whatsoever. 

To  me  this  muscle  is  a  most  wonderful  thing,  occu- 
pying a  space  between  the  tongue  and  the  jaw,  it  lies 
buried  like  a  violet  among  the  leaves  and  grasses,  un- 
observed, neglected  and  trodden  down  by  the  careless 
foot  of  man.  Also,  Hke  the  violet,  nourish  it,  care  for  it, 
and  you  will  find  it  a  thing  of  transcendent  beauty. 


Fig.  124 

Thumb  Against  Inner  Side  of  Jaw  i\ngle. 


LESSON  XX 


17 


Press  the  thumb  tip  upward  into  either  the  right  or 
the  left  angle  of  the  jaw,  nearest  the  throat.  Hold  your 
head  in  a  loose,  natural  position.  Push  the  soft  flesh 
inside  the  jawbone  upward  and  hold  it  upward  with 
the  thumb.  Then  as  you  have  been  taught,  lower  the 
middle  of  the  tongue,  that  is,  make  the  groove  in  your 
gentlest,  easiest  way  and  observe  that  now  this  flesh, 
this  soft  part  of  the  throat  nearest  the  jawbone,  has 
suddenly  become  very  strong.  Some  will  even  feel  it 
almost  as  hard  as  steel,  while  at  the  same  time,  you 
are  not  using  the  slightest  force  or  exertion  and  your 
throat  feels  absolutely  free  and  loose.  It  is  necessary 
that  you  push  the  thumb  as  far  upward  as  possible. 
See  Figure  124. 

Hold  the  thumb  in  that  position  and  look  into  your 
mouth,  using  a  mirror.  Notice  that  the  tongue  is 
making  the  groove,  but  that  the  rest  of  the  tongue  is 
loose;  neither  has  the  palate  or  uvula  changed  its 
natural  position  in  the  slightest  degree. 

What  has  happened  to  change  the  soft  flesh  nearest 
the  rearmost  part  of  the  jaw  bone  (you  can  use  either 
the  right  or  left  hand  thumb)  into  a  firm,  almost  hard, 
substance? 

This  has  happened :  Your  thumb  is  pressing  directly 
against  the  rearmost  parts  or  fibres  of  the  hyo-glossi 
muscle  and  thereby  gives  this  muscle  a  firm  hold  or  re- 
sistance against  which  it  can  contract  most  completely. 

EXTERNAL  RESISTANCE  ROUTINE 

1.  With  mirror  in  one  hand,  open  the  mouth  to 
find  your  tongue  in  a  loose,  relaxed  position.  Now 
several  times,  make  the  groove,  that  is,  drop  the  upper 
skin  of  the  tongue  way  back  in  the  mouth.  Make  sure 
that  neither  larynx  nor  palate  move  at  all  while  you 


18 


LESSON  XX 


form  the  groove.  Notice,  that  as  you  make  the  groove 
in  the  tongue,  there  is  practically  no  feeling  associated 
with  the  movement  inside  of  the  tongue;  no  more  than 
you  feel  when  you  move  a  finger  or  drop  the  eyelids. 

This  illustrates  that  a  muscle  can  and  does  contract 
without  leaving  any  trace  of  actual  effort  or  exertion, 
provided  there  is  no  RESISTANCE! 

2.  Rest  one  hand,  either  the  right  or  left  hand, 
against  one  side  of  the  face,  so  that  the  thumb  lies 
against  the  inner  side  of  the  angle  of  the  jaw,  near 
the  throat. 

3.  Push  the  thumb  strongly  upward  into  the  soft 
flesh  under  the  jaw.  The  head  must  he  held  loose 
and  slightly  lowered,  so  that  the  neck  muscles  remain 
flexible. 

4.  Now,  with  the  thumb  in  the  position  described, 
open  the  mouth  and  make  the  groove,  using  mirror  to 
make  sure  that  the  groove  is  made.  Notice  now,  that 
the  thumb  is  being  pressed  upon  and  realize  that  it  is 
the  groove  in  the  tongue  which  caused  the  pressure. 

Relax  the  tongue;  that  is,  let  the  tongue  resume  its 
natural  effortless  position  and  find  that  now  there  is 
no  pressure  upon  the  thumb. 

5.  Repeat  this  exercise  many  times.  At  the  count 
''one,"  make  groove.  At  the  count  ''two"  let  go,  and 
notice  the  pressure  as  the  groove  is  made  and  the  cessa- 
tion of  pressure  as  the  tongue  relaxes.  See  Fig.  125. 

LOOSE  JAW 

To  the  student,  the  abnormal  action  of  vocal 
muscles  is  nearly  as  important  as  the  normal.  The 
usual  faults  are  committed  because  the  normal  agents 
fail  to  act  or  exert  a  disproportionate  force.    This  is 


LESSON  XX 


19 


Fig.  125 

Thumb  Against  Jaw  Angle  and  Groove  of  Tongue. 


true  of  speakers,  singers  and  it  is  the  cause  of  all  vocal 
defects  of  whatever  kind,  especially  stammering. 

The  sinking  of  the  tongue  (the  groove)  is  caused 
by  true  vocal  muscles,  also  the  backward  movement. 


20 


LESSON  XX 


These  normal  vocal  muscles  do  not  fail  to  contract,  but 
they  are  too  weak  to  resist  the  action  of  the  non-vocal 
muscles;  notably  those  non-vocal  muscles  that  reach 
from  the  chin  and  the  jaw  to  the  hyoid  bone  and  to 
the  thyroid  cartilage. 

But  sometimes  the  true  vocal  muscles  are  very 
powerful,  so  strong  in  fact  that  the  person  having  such 
strong  muscles  should  be  in  the  possession  of  a  truly 
great  voice.  However,  in  spite  of  that,  he  is  relatively 
a  very  poor  vocalist.  In  some  way,  such  a  person  has 
either  lost  the  control  over  his  vocal  muscles,  or  has 
from  birth  or  childhood  never  realized  his  great  power. 
This  is  the  condition  I  have  invariably  found  in  stam- 
merers. 

But  singers  also  fail  to  realize  their  own  strength, 
perhaps  through  timidity.  They  find  that  at  a  certain 
pitch,  the  voice  seems  to  give  out,  to  break.  This 
frightens  them  and  they  lose  confidence.  Not  know- 
ing what  is  the  matter,  they  grope  blindly  and  gener- 
ally fall  into  one  of  two  great  faults. 

One  of  these  faults  is,  they  relax  the  entire  throat 
so  that  the  true  vocal  muscles  cannot  operate  at  all ;  the 
result  is  a  thin,  poor  tone. 

The  other  fault  is  that  they  seek  for  a  support  to 
sustain  their  higher  notes  and  contract  the  jaw  and 
chin  muscles;  those  false  friends  of  the  vocalist,  who 
like  sirens  give  them  a  temporary  assistance  but  fiend- 
like destroy  them  completely  after  a  short  and  tem- 
porary service. 

If  I  were  greedy  of  immediate  success,  I  could  have 
given  you  some  exercises  in  the  first  few  lessons  that 
would  have  brought  out  your  voice  so  much  that  you 
would  marvel  at  the  volume,  and,  within  a  short  com- 
pass at  least,  at  the  beauty  of  your  voice.  All  that  would 


I 


LESSON  XX  21 

be  needed  are  three  or  four  lessons  to  show  you  how  to 
contract  the  chin  and  jaw  muscles.  Every  one  of  you 
would  have  been  highly  pleased  at  the  quick  results. 
But  in  the  end  you  would  pay  dearly  for  such  ephemeral 
success.  I  prefer  the  slower,  natural  way  and  the  per- 
manent success  of  my  students. 

The  following  exercises  will  demonstrate  how  easily 
the  right  and  the  wrong  actions  may  be  confounded. 

THE  WRONG  WAY 

1.  Place  thumb  under  the  jaw  and  push  strongly 
upward  into  the  flesh. 

2.  Holding  thumb  in  that  position  now  stiffen  the 
jaw,  just  as  if  you  were  cracking  a  hard  nut  with  your 
back  teeth.  Notice  that  when  you  stiffen  the  jaw,  the 
flesh  above  the  thumb  swells  downward  upon  the  thumb 
and  becomes  hard,  unyielding. 

3.  While  you  hold  the  jaw  stiffly  tight,  with  a 
finger  of  the  other  hand,  touch  the  under  part  of  the 
chin,  which  now  you  will  find  also  to  be  very  hard,  so 
that  even  a  very  strong  pressure  upward  with  the  finger 
will  not  make  any  impression. 

4.  Suddenly  relax  the  jaw,  and  now  find  that  the 
flesh  in  the  jaw  and  under  the  chin  is  again  loose. 

FALSE  SPEAKING  AND  SINGING 

5.  Again  place  thumb  under  the  jaw.  Call  out 
"one,"  "two,"  "three,"  or  any  short  sentence,  or,  better 
still,  sing  a  medium  note,  later  a  high  note.  At  the  same 
instant  stiffen  your  jaw.  Notice  the  swelling,  hard 
flesh  under  the  jaw  and  the  chin,  but  also  notice  the 
very  great  power  on  medium  notes,  the  really  fine 
quality  of  the  voice,  while  you  forcibly  contract  the 
chin  and  jaw  muscles. 


22 


LESSON  XX 


Do  you  want  quick  results?  Here  you  have  it,  but 
not  with  my  consent  and  strongly  against  my  advice! 

The  same  result,  but  not  so  quick,  because  not  so 
direct,  may  be  obtained  by  a  powerful  compression  of 
the  breathing  muscles,  for  this  reason:  When  the 
breathing  muscles  are  very  powerfully  contracted,  they 
compel  the  jaw,  chin  and  throat  muscles  to  resist,  with 
a  result  that  they  are  stiff  just  as  in  the  above  experi- 
ments, and  the  tone  will  also  be  strong.  This  is  the 
trick  resorted  to  by  many  teachers;  it  brings  quick 
results,  but  ultimate  disaster. 

THE  RIGHT  WAY 

Lettuce,  grasses  and  some  flowers  can  by  artificial 
means  be  made  to  sprout,  grow  and  even  bloom  in  a 
very  short  time,  but  such  forced  plants  have  no  nutri- 
tive value,  no  taste  or  fragrance.  Weeds  grow  and  are 
ripe  long  before  the  corn  or  wheat  with  which  they 
grow.  So  with  a  true  voice.  That  which  is  truly  valu- 
able requires  labor  and  time  to  ripen  and  bear  fruit. 
''By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them,"  is  as  true  of  the 
voice  as  of  anything  else! 

The  following  will  illustrate  the  right  way: 

1.  Again  place  the  thumb  under  the  jaw  and  push 
upward.  Hold  the  mirror  in  the  other  hand  and  see  that 
the  tongue  lies  loosely,  quietly  in  the  mouth. 

2.  Still  holding  the  thumb  in  place,  suddenly,  but 
very  loosely  and  easily,  drop  the  upper  part  of  the 
tongue,  as  loosely  as  you  drop  the  eyelids.  Notice  that 
there  is  now  a  groove,  crease  or  furrow  in  the  tongue. 
Be  sure  that  the  extreme  rear  part,  that  part  nearest 
the  throat,  is  also  down.  There  should  be  no  protuber- 
ance in  the  rear  part  of  the  tongue. 

The  loose,  natural  position  of  the  tongue  should  be 
as  in  Fig.  127,  while  the  groove  should  be  the  shape  of 


LESSON  XX 


23 


Fig.  126 

Tongue,  especially  in  high  notes.  Groove  starting  from  the  extreme  rear 
of  the  tongue. 

Thick,  muscular  tongue,  also  narrow  arches,  showing  a  strong  contrac- 
tion of  the  palate  muscles. 

Fig.  126.  These  figures,  by  the  way,  were  taken  from 
the  greatest  singers  of  the  old  ItaHan  school  and  pre- 
served to  us.  Every  one  of  the  greatest  singers,  the 
ones  with  the  most  faultless  voice,  show  the  groove 
especially  in  powerful  and  high  tones. 


Fig.  127 


The  tongue  and  palate  at  rest.  Tongue  fills  the  space  between  teeth. 
Thick,  muscular  tongue,  wide  arches,  showing  palate  at  rest. 


24 


LESSON  XX 


Notice  now,  when  you  make  the  groove,  with  thumb 
under  the  jaw,  that  you  feel  the  same  pressure,  either 
more  or  less,  depending  upon  your  natural  strength, 
as  you  felt  when  you  stiffened  your  jaw  as,  in  cracking 
a  nut.  But  now  notice  particularly  that  in  spite  of 
a  strong  pressure  upon  the  thumb,  your  jaw  and  chin 
do  not  feel  any  sense  of  tightness. 

In  both  experiments,  in  the  wrong  and  in  the  right 
way,  your  thumb  is  pushing  upward  upon  the  all-im- 
portant hyo-glossi  muscles.  These  muscles  must  con- 
tract for  all  powerful  tones.  In  the  first  instance  they 
were  contracted  with  the  help  of  the  jaw  and  chin 
muscles;  this  forces  them  and  is  absolutely  wrong. 

In  the  second  instance,  the  hyo-glossi  alone  con- 
tracted. You  felt  the  pressure,  perhaps  more  clearly 
than  before.  Your  jaw  and  chin  were  not  stiff.  The 
tongue  alone  acted  and  that  is  the  correct  way.  To 
acquire  the  highest  type  of  voice  you  should  use  no 
other  way  of  attacking  and  holding  the  tone  than  free 
tongue-action. 

Until  the  next  lesson,  practice  as  much  as  you  can 
the  tongue  groove,  against  the  thumb  under  the  jaw. 
Make  groove  at  ''one,"  hold  it  for  "two,"  let  go  at 
"three."   Repeat  this  way  over  and  over  many  times. 

THE  CORRECT  WAY 

After  a  few  days,  and  when  the  groove  of  the 
tongue,  against  up-pushing  thumb  under  the  jaw 
(either  right  or  left)  is  easy  for  you,  try  the  following: 

1.  Again  push  up  against  the  inner  jaw  with  a 
thumb,  hold  it  steadily  and 

2.  Make  the  groove,  at  the  instant  of  calling  out- 
"ha,"  "ha,"  "ha,"  expecting  a  full  strong  voice — then 
call  out  "hi,"  "hi,"  "hi."    Notice  a  strong  pressure  at 
each  syllable,  also  a  strong,  full  tone  and  no  sense  of 
stiffness  or  tightness  in  the  jaw,  or  throat. 


LESSON  XX 


25 


3.  Count  "one,"  "two,"  "three,"  etc.  Between 
each  count  make  a  rest  to  notice  that  when  at  rest, 
there  is  not  the  sHghtest  pressure  while  at  each  spoken 
word  or  syllable  you  notice  a  decided  pressure. 

4.  Read  aloud  the  following  poem  taken  from  the 
Railroad  Man's  Magazine,  April,  1917. 

SEE  THAT  STRING  OF  CARS  OUT  YONDER? 

See  that  string  of  cars  out  yonder 

Coupled  to  old  Ninety-Four? 
Some  are  from  the  far-off  desert, 

Some  are  from  the  distant  shore; 
Some  are  marked  the  New  York  Central, 

And  some  are  marked  the  B.  and  O. 
They  are  loaded  down  with  treasure. 

Always,  always  on  the  go. 

See  that  string  of  cars  out  yonder? 

I  sometimes  wish  that  I  were  one; 
Always  riding,  always  going. 

Yet  their  work  is  never  done. 
You  see  one  Big  Four  leave  Chicago, 

Billed  out  through  to  El  Paso; 
Soon  she  leaves  via  New  Orleans 

On  her  way  to  Baltimo'. 

See  that  string  of  cars  out  yonder? 

Some  are  painted  almost  new; 
Some  look  like  the  rip-track  wants  them, 

Some  look  like  their  life  is  through. 
Yet  the  old  ones,  like  the  new  ones. 

Do  the  same  amount  of  work; 
So,  you  see,  those  cars  out  yonder 

Never,  never  try  to  shirk. 


26 


LESSON  XX 


At  first  reading,  make  a  stop  between  each  word. 
Any  word  with  two  or  more  syllables  should  be  sepa- 
rated thus: 

''See  -  that  -  string  -  of  -  cars  -  out  -  yon  -  der, 
Cou  -  pled  -  to  -  old  -  Nine  -  ty  -  Four?" 

The  second  time  string  all  the  w^ords  of  one  line 
together,  as  if  they  were  just  one  word.  Of  course  now 
you  feel  the  pressure  against  the  thumb  as  a  continuous 
pressure.  _  . 

The  third  time,  read  in  a  natural  manner.  Notice 
a  pressure  w^hen  you  speak  and  looseness  when  you 
pause  between  the  sentences. 

As  you  speak  these  exercises  or  when  you  sing,  notice 
that  the  voice  is  made  directly  from  the  tongue.  When 
you  have  succeeded,  there  will  be  absolute  freedom 
everywhere  and  a  strong  voice ;  in  fact,  you  can  almost 
''raise  the  roof." 

Sing  at  first  medium  tones,  then  as  high  as  F  on 
fifth  line.   First  vocalize,  then  count,  later  try  a  song. 

The  next  lesson  is  a  continuation  of  this  important 
lesson. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  TO 
LESSON  XX 

1.  Why  do  voice  students  fail? 

2.  What  muscles  are  destructive  to  the  voice? 

3.  How  many  muscles  are  attached  to  the  hyoid 
bone?  ^  ^ 

4.  Can  you  draw  the  hyoid  bone  upward? 

5.  Can  you  pull  the  hyoid  bone  downward? 

6.  What  is  the  correct  position  of  the  hyoid  bone 
for  singing  or  speaking?  I . 


LESSON  XX  27 

7.  By  what  false  action  can  the  vocal  chords  be 
stretched? 

8.  Can  you  contract  the  hyo-glossi  muscle  against 
thumb? 

9.  Should  the  throat  be  relaxed,  stiff  or  what? 

10.  Do  you  want  quick  results  or  are  you  satisfied 
to  work  for  permanent  results? 


